Mr Sandman
by MakeYouSmile
Summary: ""We make a good team." At this, the corner of his lips twitched slightly as he closed his eyes. Silence consumed both of them for a long moment before he sighed. "It would seem so..." :: Only one person can make Okino Yume feel again. GaaraxOC
1. Speed

_"Can you __**feel**__, Yume-chan?"_

**//+//**

She winced slightly as she held her left hand palm forward, brow furrowed in concentration. It was glowing, as well as the long wire that protruded from her palm. "Ah..." Ignoring the burning sensation in her palm, she pushed forward and watched in satisfaction as the wire, which from her hand had been wrapped around a tree trunk tightly, slowly began to cut into the trunk.

"Nn..."

She inhaled before slowly closing her fist around the wire. "**Waia Kire!**" Abruptly, the wire dug into the tree trunk, cutting it in half in one clean sweep.

**//+//**

_"..."_

**//+//**

She barely winced as the wire retracted back into her palm, leaving a small black mark behind. Blankly, she stared at the man on the sand; she watched as the red began to slowly trickle from his chest to the golden sand below.

Tainting it.

She touched the headset that she was wearing and moved the small mike towards her lips, "Mission complete."

**//+//**

_"Ah. I see...So, that is what has been done to you...Poor child..."_

**//+//**

"Yume..."

She stared blankly ahead at the body that was pierced into the wall by kunai. Its face was deformed, but she knew who it was.

"She'll need to be stabilized again." A voice whispered behind her, trying not to be heard. She had once thought of the voice as a friend; a companion. Now, the person behind the voice was nothing but a piece of loathsome meat. An insignificant other that only wanted to hurt her.

She turned on her heel with her hand outstretched, dark eyes vacant. Immediately, the innocents backed away, leaving the guilty there in plain view. "Yume, don't be rash-"

"..._Waia Kire._"

She was going to hurt them first.

**//+//**

_"You sorrowful thing...To have no reason, no purpose...You know...I can __**give you**__ a purpose."_

**//+//**

She stared down at the sand below from atop a roof. It would be a long drop.

She rose one foot over the edge, paused, then proceeded to fall.

**//+//**

_"Work for me, Yume-chan. I'll lodge you, feed you; give you life. All you need to do is be obedient to me."_

**//+//**

The air rushed behind her, and she sighed; soon, she would slip into unconsciousness. She wouldn't have to feel a thing.

But, she then felt something warm around her back. Blinking, she looked back to see a smiling face.

"Silly girl." The face said lightly, in an almost teasing manner, before pressing her close to his chest and pushing himself away from the building so that they fell feet-forward. The entire time during the fall, until he finally landed, she stared at his face. At how fake it was; how his true emotions seemed to be deeply pressed into the center of his body so that they couldn't show.

She wanted that.

"Come; I have things to converse with you after you rest."

_Fake, fake, fake...._

She nodded her head anyway.

**//+//**

_"Well? Will you gain a purpose, Yume-chan?" _

_"..." _

_"Hm...Well, you are still a child; only eight. I suppose you can sleep on it-" _

_"Yes." _

_"Hm?" _

_"I...I want my purpose." _

_"You __**do**__? Well, that's good, because...I have your first order right here."_

**//+//**

**Years Later...**

**//+//**

_Get up, get up._

Yume stared intently from her seat atop a roof, watching as Koji and Zai slowly pushed themselves back up to their feet on the roof across from her. She smiled slightly in relief and waved, "Zai, Koji, you alright?"

Zai scowled, brushing off dirt from his clothing, "Strange, how happy she can act." He mumbled, blue strands of hair falling into his equally blue eyes as he glanced over at Koji. "Don't you think?" He questioned while moving his left arm in a wide circle. Koji shrugged, the Suna sun glinting off of the metal from his headband that he kept tied around his eyes.

"I suppose." Koji said back quietly, merely stuffing his hands back into the pockets of his light coat that was zipped up to his chin.

Zai looked at him, "Guh, how'd I get stuck on a team with you?"

"I'm guessing you're alright if you're strong enough to chit-chat." Zai almost jumped in surprise while Koji merely looked over his shoulder; sure enough, Yume was standing behind them, hands on her hips and head tilted. "Come _on_, guys. We leave tomorrow; we should be getting ready." She added when Zai rolled his eyes, exasperated.

"Yume, what's the point? It'll take some time before it's over anyway; we can wait." He stated, trying to reason.

She just shook her head with a grin, "No way. Now, suck it up. Koji, scenario-five." She added, looking over at Koji who sighed.

"...Fine." He replied, obviously indifferent to the 'scenario'. Yume, however, smiled brightly and pumped a fist into the air.

"Okay! Action!" She said before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving Zai and Koji to stand on the rooftop alone, the evening sun beating at their backs.

Zai spread his feet slightly and raised his arms in a defensive stance while Koji merely let his hands fall from his pockets and to his sides. Zai glanced around; there were a few sparse people walking around in Suna's roads, but otherwise it was empty. He then glanced back over at Koji, staring at the headband over his eyes. "Ready?" Zai asked with a smirk; this was his favorite scenario in training.

Koji sighed, again, "Yeah."

In an instant, both were sprinting across the rooftop, both at the same length. Expertly, they jumped in unison onto the next rooftop and so on for a good five minutes before Zai looked over his shoulder.

"Hey, do you think she forgot?"

Koji frowned slightly, jumping to a rooftop parallel to the one they were already on. He paused for a moment, brow furrowed in thought. Zai jumped beside him, looking at him with a cocked eyebrow as Koji's ears prickled. Abruptly, Koji's head snapped up, "Above." He stated, easily taking a step to the side when Yume suddenly dropped from the sky, firing a ray of shuriken at the two. Zai bent backwards, watching idly as a shuriken flew above his face.

"Stay alive, gentlemen." Yume all but taunted as she landed easily in-between the two, sliding her left leg over to Koji who jumped over it before pushing himself off of the rooftop and into the road below. Scowling, Zai followed suit, except he did a back flip off of the roof, smirking over at Yume with a wave before disappearing over the edge.

"Stay alive, Yume-_chan_." Zai teased, emphasizing the _chan_ just to watch her face twist into a grimace.

"I'm giving you a five second head start before I rip out your spinal chord." She said lowly, and Zai's face paled.

As soon as he hit the ground, he sprinted.

**//+//**

Eyes closed, he walked at a leisurely pace, knowing he wouldn't bump into to anyone. His arms were crossed over his chest loosely, and his sandals made a slapping sound against the hard earth that was covered in a thin layer of sand. The sun was close to setting, and many were returning to their homes.

So he was agitated when another boy sped past him, causing him to stop. Slowly, he opened aquamarine eyes and glanced over his shoulder to see the boy come to a slow stop. The other boy glanced over his shoulder as well, and he was faintly surprised to see that the boy had the Suna headband covering his eyes.

Before he could even try to match a name with the face, something else whizzed by him, the air blowing his clothing around slightly. "_KOJI!_ She's going to kill us!" The new boy exclaimed, running past the blinded one in frenzy. He watched as the blinded one turned his head slightly before sprinting to catch up with the loud one.

He blinked before turning back towards the way he had been walking and continuing on, arms still crossed, but eyes now open. He had only walked about a yard before another person sprinted by him.

But this time, the person's shoulder slammed into his own.

"Ah, _gomen_!" The voice belonged to a female, and he glanced over his shoulder just to steal a glance at her face. Something pricked in his head when he saw that she was also looking back at him with a curious expression. Scowling, he grabbed his head in one hand before raising his other, the sand already pouring out of the gourd placed along his back. However, in a flash, she was already gone, most likely with the other two bigots that had dared to disturb his walk.

But, by the time he had walked to the edge of Suna and had placed himself atop a solitary roof, he had already forgotten about the three with the amazing speed.


	2. Anagram

"Konoha; the Hidden Leaf village..."

"...It reeks of weaklings."

"Being judgmental already? They look somewhat strong to me."

"You lack the strength to see beyond appearances."

A scowl.

"It's not like _you_ can see..." Zai grumbled as he sat against the middle of a tree, feet dangling from the branch as he idly watched the commotion below. Koji furrowed his brow, but remained silent.

Yume sighed, leaning against the trunk as well as she stood on the branch in a balanced position, "Be nice you two." She said idly, eyes trained on the tree a couple yards away. She could barely make out the shadow of three figures, and she frowned to herself. '_Are there others?'_

"Yo Yume, some stuff is going down." Zai commented, nudging his head down to the alley below as Yume looked over. The three shadows forgotten, Yume squatted down next to Koji and focused on the scene below.

"Well, if it isn't the midday show."

**//+//**

"HEY! YOU FAT PIG!! If you don't let him go, I'll make you pay!! FATASS! IDIOT!" Uzumaki Naruto, a loud blonde, yelled, pointing an accusing finger at an older boy with paint over his face. The older one was holding a small child up in the air by the cuff of his shirt, who was wincing.

"Let go of me..." The child croaked, trying to maintain a tough demeanor, even as he was quaking in fear.

'_You idiot!! What are you thinking?!_' Haruno Sakura, a pink-haired bombshell, thought angrily as she got Naruto into a tight headlock. Just as she was about to strangle him, she was stopped by a voice.

"Hey, you're annoying," The boy with the face-paint said, exasperated. Sakura loosened her hold on Naruto's neck in slight surprise while Naruto scowled. "Basically...I hate midgets..." The older one continued, raising his other hand towards the child's face, forming a fist. The child gave a small yelp and closed his eyes tightly. "Especially the younger ones like this that are rude...Makes me want to kill them."

"Oh well, I'm not involved..." An even older girl with blonde hair commented with a sigh, looking away while both Sakura and Naruto's eyes widened in shock.

"What-" Naruto said, ignoring the other two Academy kids that were behind him, crying. "YOU BASTARD!" He suddenly exclaimed, his fist clenched. The older one snickered, moving his fist closer to the child in his other hand.

"Well, after this one I'll take care of that other annoying midget!" He then made a swing at the boy's face.

"**HEY!**" Naruto protested, running forward, only to come up short when something whizzed at the older boy's hand, causing him to drop the child onto the ground. A small rock bounced off to the side. "Whoa!"

"Hey...!" The older one shouted, holding his hand while wincing, looking up in the direction of where the rock had come from. Sure enough, up in a tree, throwing a rock up and down, was a boy with black hair.

"What are you bastards doing in our village?" The boy stated coolly, while Sakura squealed.

"Sasuke-kun!" Naruto scowled.

The older one glared up at Sasuke, the one in the tree, while the blonde girl looked up at him with a slight smirk and a light blush. '_He's pretty handsome..._'

"Ah, another guy who pisses me off..." The boy with the face-paint grumbled, fixing the glove on his left hand.

"Get lost." Sasuke all but demanded, still crouching in the tree with a stolid expression. Sakura, hearts in her eyes, squealed and the child, Konohomaru, pointed a finger at Naruto, tears falling down his face.

"Naruto, you suck."

"No dummy! I could easily defeat that guy!" Naruto insisted, crouching down n front of him and patting his shoulder. Konohomaru just looked away with arms crossed defiantly over his chest. '_Damn you, Sasuke! Why are you always making me look bad?!_' Naruto thought in frustration, fist clenched.

"Hey punk. Get down here." The boy with the face-paint suddenly said with one hand on his hip as he glared up at Sasuke, who glared right back. "I hate show-offs like you the most." He reached behind his back, where an object wrapped in bandages hung. He lifted it off of his back and placed it beside him, causing the blonde to step forward.

"Hey! You're going to use the Karasu for this?" She protested, and he snickered, and was about to make a comment; but he was interrupted.

"Kankuro, stop it." Sasuke froze; the voice had come from right behind him. He turned around, and to everyone's surprise, a boy with red hair was standing upside down on the tree branch, arms crossed over his chest and a gourd hanging from his back.

"You're an embarrassment to our village." He commented dryly, and Sasuke looked back down, finally noticing the Suna headband that both of the two on the ground were wearing.

"Ga...Gaara..."

"Losing yourself in a fight, how pathetic...Why do you think we came to the Leaf village?" Gaara continued lowly, and Kankuro pointed a finger over at Naruto.

"Listen Gaara, they started it and..."

"Shut up...I'll kill you." Gaara said, almost in a bored tone. Kankuro swallowed while Gaara glared at him, his aquamarine eyes that had heavy dark circles around them intimidating.

"Okay, I'm sorry..." He apologized quickly, hands raised in defense.

"I'm also sorry...Really sorry..." The blonde said, also somewhat nervous around him.

"Hm, I wonder what everyone's sorry about."

Everyone blinked and looked over to the far right, not knowing this new voice; not that they knew the others that well, either.

"Maybe someone insulted someone?" A boy with light blue hair suggested idly, hands behind his head in a lazy position. A Suna headband was wrapped over his left shoulder.

"Obvious tension; maybe we interrupted a fight." Another boy suggested, slighter taller than the first. His Suna headband was wrapped tightly around his eyes.

"Hm, looks like it. How fun! We're only in Konoha for a few hours and we're already in a fight." A girl said lightly, the one who had made the first comment. The Suna headband was wrapped around her waist, the metal glinting in the Konoha sun.

"Hey, hey! Get lost!" Naruto abruptly shouted, pointing a finger at the girl, obviously the leader. The girl cocked her head and glanced over at him.

"...That one guy was right; you _are_ annoying." She said idly, causing Naruto to scowl and for his eye to twitch.

'_...More people from the Sand?_' Sakura thought, eyeing the newcomers' headband suspiciously.

"Yeah, we're from Suna. You can stop staring." Sakura gave a yelp in surprise when the boy blinded by his headband spoke up lowly, moving his head in her direction.

'_What the hell! How can he see?!_'

"Yo, we still haven't figured out what the 'sorry' is about." The blue-haired one commented, glancing over at the girl. She shrugged, glancing up in the tree to see Gaara and Sasuke.

"We'll find out." She replied, receiving a glare from Sasuke while Gaara stared blankly.

"You-"

"...Sorry to you guys." Gaara suddenly said, and Sasuke's head snapped back to watch as he disappeared in a whirl of sand before reappearing in-between Kankuro and the blonde, sand still swirling around him slightly. "It looks like we got here too early, but..." Gaara lifted his head up, looking over at the newcomers before at Kankuro, "we're not here to play."

"I know that..." Kankuro replied with a frown.

"Let's go." Gaara said, turning his back to everyone.

"Hey!! Wait!"

Gaara stopped and turned around, arms crossed, "What?"

"Judging from your head protectors, you guys are ninjas from the Sand, right?" Sakura asked, looking at both Gaara and the newcomers. "You may be allies with Leaf village, but it is forbidden for shinobis to enter each other's villages without permission. State your purpose; depending on it, we might not be able to let you go."

The blonde chuckled, but the other girl shook her head. "Geez, talk about clueless." The girl commented, digging into her kunai pouch before retrieving a small pass, showing it to Sakura.

The blonde glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, "...I didn't know other people from Sand were coming..." She commented, and the girl smiled slightly.

"Last minute changes. But, you're right; we're _all_," the girl added, waving a hand across all of the Suna-nin, "Genins from the Hidden Sand. We're here to take the Chunin Exam."

"...Chunin...Exam?" Naruto asked blankly, brow furrowed in confusion. The blonde shook her head this time, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Man, you really don't know anything. The Chunin Exam is where outstanding Genin from Sand, Leaf, and other villages assemble to take an exam to become a Chunin." She explained, exasperated.

"Wait! Why do we take it together?" Naruto questioned, growing more confused at each syllable. The blonde sighed.

"The main purpose is said to improve relationships between the allies and to raise the shinobi level; but also, each country likes to maintain power balance, and..."

"Hey, Konohomaru!!! Think I should do the exam thing?!" Naruto asked excitedly, completely ignoring the blonde, who was steadily growing a tick mark near her eye.

"You bastard!! You asked the question, wait for the end!!"

"Short attention span?" The blue-haired one asked the blinded one idly.

"Most likely." The blinded one replied, earning a chuckle from both the blue-haired one and the girl.

"Hey you, what's your name?" Blinking, the girl glanced over, not even noticing that Sasuke had jumped down from the tree and was now staring at her. The blonde, however, blushed and smiled, "You mean me?" She asked hopefully.

Silence.

"No. The girl and the one with the gourd." Sasuke stated, and Gaara glanced over at the Suna girl with curiosity; what was special about her? The girl raised an eyebrow before crossing her arms over her chest.

"...Meyu." She replied, her somewhat sarcastic demeanor fading. Sasuke then looked over at Gaara, who stared him silently.

"...Gaara of the Desert."

'_...! He's...?_'

"I'm also interested in you; your name?" Gaara stated, looking at Sasuke who raised an eyebrow.

"...It's Uchiha Sasuke." He replied with a smirk. Gaara held his gaze for a while before glancing over at the Suna girl; obviously she had some type of potential if this Sasuke person had asked for her name.

"...Meyu, correct?" The girl, Meyu, stared blankly before also giving a smirk.

"So I've heard."

"Hey!! What about me, huh?!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed with a grin, pointing to himself. Gaara glanced at him.

"Not interested." He then turned to Kankuro and the blonde, leaving Naruto to sulk, "Let's go..."

"Come on; we're leaving." Meyu said as well, looking over at her teammates who nodded. Just a few seconds after Gaara and the other two had disappeared, the others followed suit.

**//+//**

"...Why did you tell them 'Meyu'?"

The girl shrugged, feet propped up on a table and her seat teetering on the chair leg. "An anagram. You weren't thinking about being honest, were you?" She questioned, and the blinded boy sighed before raising the small cup of tea to his lips.

"You should have just stayed quiet..."

"Feeling guilty?" The blue-haired boy teased, idly poking at his half-empty dish with a pair of chopsticks. The blinded one frowned.

"Of course not."

"Hey, I wonder why he asked for your name anyway." The blue-haired one went on, looking over at the girl who also frowned.

"That Uchiha or the one with the gourd?"

"Gaara; he looked kind of scary." The blue-haired one added with a shudder while the blinded one sighed.

"He did have a strange aura about him...."

"Yeah; but, do you think he knows?" The blue-haired one pressed on, and the girl shrugged, nudging her bowl of ramen with her toe.

"Nah. Maybe he's just curious." She added before the ramen bowl tipped over, spilling soup over the small, wooden table, it slowly spreading to the edge, where it dripped onto the floor in a steady beat.

**//+//**

_"It hurts..."_

_"Where?"_

_Timidly, the small girl pointed to her chest, and the man gave a fake smile. "Don't worry, Yume-chan; I'll make it so it doesn't hurt anymore." _

_**//+//**_

_When he opened the door, wondering who would be out during such a storm, he was surprised to sense her standing there, her hair matted to her face from the rain. She was soaking from head to toe, and she kept her head low. The visible part of his face softened, and he stepped aside, allowing her to enter, water dripping onto the floorboards as she walked. Quietly, he closed the door behind him, just in time to block out the world as she fell onto her knees. _

_**//+//**_

"...It's time."

"There's a marked off area nearby; we'll stay with you."

"Yeah, we'll be there."

"...Thanks, guys."


	3. Introduce

"Gaara, what are we _doing_ here?"

"...Shut up."

Kankuro scowled, but looked away and continued to follow behind Temari, who sighed, "Gaara, we've been camping out for at least two days..." She said in a low tone, but Gaara remained silent and continued to walk through the forest, head forward but eyes glancing around at the tree branches. Temari frowned, but gave a yawn and folded her hands behind her head.

'_Strange, making us come with him..._'

_"You two; we're going."_

_"What? But Gaara, it's late-"_

_"Shut up." Temari sighed, but crossed her arms over her chest, "We're coming...Get up Kankuro."_

_"Damn..." _

_**//+//**_

"...She's been in for two days...Do you think we should see if she's alright?"

The blind one shook his head, turning his face towards the large, hollow dome of dried mud behind them. It floated in midair idly, the moon shining along the left side. "You know as well as I do that interruption is fatal." He replied quietly, and the lazy one sighed before crossing his hands behind his head.

"Still...The only time she's been in there longer was when, well, you know..." The lazy one pressed, the last part said a little softer. The blind one shrugged and turned his face towards the trees.

"Maybe she had a bad dream."

"That wasn't even close to being funny." The lazy one said in a low tone, brow furrowed. The blind one crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his face to the ground.

"It wasn't meant to be..."

The lazy one frowned, but sighed and relaxed his arms so that they fell to his sides, "Want me to grab some food? It looks like we're camping out again." He suggested in a slightly lighter tone than before, and the blind one turned his head slightly in the other's direction.

"...I'll get it." The blind one said, and the lazy one smiled; his indirect apology was accepted.

"Oh, wait, how will you read the...." The lazy one's voice soon died away when the blind one gave him a deep frown. The lazy one laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "Eh heh, sorry."

"...Whatever." The blind one mumbled before doing a few swift hand seals and disappearing in a whirl of dust. The lazy one sighed; the apology from earlier had just been rejected.

_**//+//**_

Gaara looked down at the ground and his eyes narrowed; the faint imprints of sandals could still be seen.

_'I knew it...'_

_Small piles of sand were scattered throughout the room of an inn as he sat stolidly in the middle of a bed. The other two were sleeping; after all, they could._

_It wasn't fair._

_"Why don't you go to sleep already?" He turned his head towards the open doors that led out onto a small balcony, sand already crawling out of the gourd he kept on his back. She was leaning against the railing, arms crossed over her chest and her head tilted in a bored manner._

_"You." He said plainly, and she shrugged._

_"Me. Now go to sleep so I can go." She added, obviously in a hurry. His eyes narrowed, but the piles of sand remained in place for the time being. _

_"I can't sleep." She blinked._

_"Why not?" She questioned, arms falling back to her sides as she stared at him through the open doorway._

_"The demon inside of me will take over if I do." He answered coolly, expecting something much more than what she was giving. All she gave was shrug._

_"It only takes over when you sleep? It must be easily controlled." She said idly, looking off to the side and at the night sky; if he wasn't going to sleep, then she would be able to leave in time._

_"What do you want?" He asked, and she glanced over at him before sighing and resting her hands behind her head. _

_"I guess we are alike in some ways." She mumbled, ignoring his question. He narrowed his eyes and was about to speak, but she shook her head and jumped up on the railing of the balcony. "You control the sand...And you don't sleep..." She said idly, gazing around the room of the inn before resting her eyes on him. There was a pause as she stared, head tilted and brow furrowed in thought. Then she smiled, "Goodnight, __**Mr. Sandman**__." _

_And then she fell backwards, just as he stood up from the bed with eyes narrowed in curiosity. _

_**//+//**_

"Shut up."

Kankuro and Temari both became silent at Gaara's command. furtively, they hopped down to the next tree branch, and Gaara examined the clearing below with narrowed eyes. After a moment, he closed his eyes and disappeared in a whirl of sand, but not before ordering Temari and Kankuro to stay put.

Quietly, he appeared in the clearing with the sand, straightening himself up as he looked around.

"Yo, get back." A thin sheet of sand formed in front of Gaara's face, blocking a kunai and letting it rebound before falling to the ground. The sand lowered and Gaara coolly looked forward to see a blue-haired boy standing in front of a large, hollow sphere of mud that was hovering in midair.

"You deaf? You can't come closer." Gaara looked back at the boy, who was in a lazy position with his hands behind his head and his face twisted into a scowl.

"...You were with that girl...Meyu." Gaara said lowly, turning to fully face the boy, who raised an eyebrow.

"Meyu? You mean-"

"And you're Sabaku no Gaara...Gaara of the Desert; correct?" Gaara remained impassive when another boy, the one blinded by the Suna head protector, appeared next to the blue-haired one.

"Correct." He replied with his arms crossed over his chest. The blind one motioned to the blue-haired one.

"He's Azi, and I am Jiko. Are we troubling you by our presence?"

The blue-haired one, Azi, scowled at Jiko, the blind one. "Suck up." Azi mumbled, but Jiko ignored the comment and turned his face towards Gaara, who narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, you are."

"Gaara!" Gaara glanced up to his dismay to see Temari and Kankuro jumping d own from their places in the trees.

"Shut up." Gaara said coolly, and Temari frowned.

"But, I just-"

Jiko looked back at the sphere, and his brow furrowed when he saw that it was slightly vibrating. He sighed, "Prepare yourselves." He warned quietly, covering his ears with his hands, Azi following suit. Temari and Kankuro looked at each other oddly while Gaara glared.

"Where-"

He was interrupted by a blood-curling scream, coming from inside the floating sphere.

Temari and Kankuro yelped as they covered their ears, but Gaara merely flinched. The sphere glowed before sharp wires began to burst out of its shell, the scream growing louder while doing so.

Finally, while the wires curled around the exterior of the sphere, the scream faded, and the blue glow with it.

Jiko sighed and moved to the front of the sphere, along with Azi. Temari and Kankuro lowered their hands from theirs ears and glanced at Gaara, who was watching the two Suna boys curiously.

Abruptly, a large square of the dried mud was cut out from the inside, and it fell to the forest ground with a thud.

Gaara narrowed his eyes as he tried to peer into the sphere from a distance, but all he could see was darkness. Then, a figure stumbled into view, one arm against the side of the newly created doorway from the sphere, head hung low.

The figure then fell forward.

"We got you..." Azi mumbled just loud enough to be heard as both he and Jiko caught the unconscious figure, whose head fell to the side. Gaara blinked; it was Meyu.

"Her..." He mumbled, and Jiko and Azi glanced at each other.

Then they sprinted, with Meyu on Jiko's back.

"After them." Gaara ordered, jumping into the tree branches after the Suna-nin, while Temari and Kankuro sighed; this was going to be a long night.

_**//+//**_

_"Usaka-san, where's Yukio-kun?"_

_"...Don't think about him, Yume-chan." He replied coolly, easily bending the wires that she had accidentally trapped herself in away. She frowned._

_"Samuru-sama says that he's with the snake man."_

_"Hush. Don't worry about your brother, he is fine." He said coaxingly, and she sighed before stepping out of the wire trap._

_"Usaka-san, are you going to leave me again?" She asked quietly, and he fixed his eyes on her._

_"No, never again." _

_She gave a tiny smile and nodded, "Okay." _

_**//+//**_

"Jiko, follow me."

Jiko nodded and followed in exact tune as Azi hopped from tree branch to tree branch a couple feet ahead. Azi jumped from side-to-side twice, forward five times and then diagonally on the left three. All the while, Jiko was easily following, concentrating on the vibrations in the air and the direction they were coming from and going to.

After a moment, he clicked his tongue. He visualized the low tree branch hanging above and lowered his head while shifting Meyu so that she was also lowered. He darted under it after Azi, who twisted his foot and jumped up into a high tree branch on the left, Jiko following.

"We're ahead far enough for some time. Hold her." Jiko mumbled, lowering Meyu off of his back and carefully setting her against the trunk of a tree, making sure she didn't fall off of the branch. Azi nodded and grabbed onto her shoulders while watching Jiko fish a vial out of his kunai pouch.

Jiko uncorked it and held it underneath Meyu's nose, shaking it slightly. "Hurry; sixty yards." Azi stated, looking out to the distance as he held onto Meyu tightly, shaking her just a little. Jiko frowned.

"She's not waking up."

"You're a genius to have figured that out." Azi said with a scowl before standing up, bringing Meyu with him. Jiko stood as well and glanced back.

"We've got three miles to go; I think I'll need to make a distraction..."

"Have fun." Azi replied, carefully putting Meyu over his shoulder before jumping off the tree branch and down onto the ground. Once his feet touched the soil, he bolted, leaving Jiko to stand in the tree, arms crossed over his chest and head bent.

'Hm...I can't **kill** him...'

He looked up to see a few blurs speeding towards him.

'This will work...'

_**//+//**_

_"This will help regulate your body. After the experimentation, you'll have to do this about twice a month."_

"_Okay. Will it hurt?"_

_He put his hand on her head, "No, of course not. You won't feel a thing."_

_**//+//**_

"Gaara, what's the point? What's so special about-"

"Go."

Temari blinked and glanced over her shoulder, stopping to stand on a tree branch while Kankuro landed next to her. Gaara was a few feet behind, arms crossed and head bent.

"Gaara?" She tilted her head. Kankuro smirked.

"No problem."

"You two are just a nuisance..." Gaara stated coolly before jumping in-between them and onto the next branch and so on. Temari watched him with a furrowed brow while Kankuro sighed in relief, plopping down on the branch so that it wobbled under his weight.

"Man, that brat's been making us run around for two days! I'm going back to the inn."

Temari frowned as she watched Gaara's back fade into the forest. She sighed, "I'll go bring Gaara back..."

"Be my guest."


	4. Familiar

'_She says we are alike..._'

Gaara calmly jumped from branch to branch, a few lone rays of moonlight shining down no the path in front of him.

'_This must mean she's particularly strong..._'

He paused for a moment, resting one hand on the wide trunk of a tree, scanning the area.

'_Or that she's just like everyone else._'

He pushed forward, sensing chakra to the north.

'_Not to be trusted._'

**//+//**

Jiko smoothed out the tag as he hung upside-down from the tree branch, making sure the tag was well hidden beneath it.

'_Enough for a minor injury. Nothing serious._' He thought to himself before swinging himself back upright, glancing over his shoulder.

He could hear someone coming.

"Fast..." Jiko mumbled before vanishing in a split second, just before Temari jumped onto the tree branch above.

'_But not faster than __**us**__._'

**//+//**

"Meyu, enough fooling around. I'm not carrying you the entire way there."

Meyu opened her left eye, red violet peeking through. She stared idly up at Azi, who had set her down against a tree trunk for the time being.

"How much longer?" She asked, slowly standing up, using the trunk for support. Azi watched her curiously before replying.

"Just half a mile. Yo!" He exclaimed when she stumbled forward. He caught her in one arm awkwardly before rolling his eyes, "Perfect timing, Meyu..." He growled, and Meyu smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry?"

"Whatever...Let's just get there before Taji-san reports us late." Azi said lowly, and Meyu nodded before climbing onto his back.

"That's the last thing we need." She replied with equal disdain before Azi began to sprint again.

**//+//**

"Gaara!" Temari sighed as she paused on a high tree branch, looking around earnestly.

No brother in sight.

She shook her head and took a step forward on the branch, ready to push off, only for a small explosion to erupt a few yards ahead.

"Woah!" Caught off guard by the impact, Temari fell backwards onto the branch, raising her arms to shield her face as debris flew towards her. It lightly burned the uncovered skin of her hands, but otherwise there was no damage.

After everything settled down, she lowered her arms and scanned the area. '_Damn. They must have rigged the place with explosive notes._' She thought with a scowl before lifting the fan off from behind her back. Smirking, she unfolded it and jumped atop, it hovering in the air steadily.

'_Stupid kids; the notes can't go off if I don't touch them._' She thought smugly before the fan began to fly forward at a steady enough pace so that she could scan the area below for Gaara.

Just as she turned her head back forward, a small line of string fell down, an explosive note dangling from it right in front of her face.

"Surprise."

Temari could barely get a breath in before the note exploded in her face.

Up above, Jiko let the string from his fingers fall, a trail of explosive notes following after. One by one, they exploded above Temari, smoke and debris clouding the area. Satisfied, Jiko stood up and brushed a few brown strands of hair away before jumping to the next tree branch.

'_One down; one more to go._'

**//+//**

Gaara looked around as he landed on a tree branch.

He couldn't sense any chakra, nor could he see anyone.

He was about to take a step forward to push off, but he paused, his foot inches away from the bark. Blinking, he put his foot back to its original position while a thin swirl of sand flew out of the gourd on his back, traveling down to where he had begun to put his foot down.

He smirked when the sand peeled off an explosive note from the bottom of the branch, holding the note a good distance away from his face.

"Idiot." He mumbled as the note began to burn; it was obviously set off by motion. He manipulated the sand so that it covered the note in a harmless little dome, where a small _pop!_ was heard and the dome had given a light shake.

The explosion was meaningless.

Idly, Gaara lowered the sand so that it retreated back into the gourd, and so that the burnt up note floated down to rest on the branch. Satisfied, Gaara took a step forward for a push off, his sandal crumbling the note.

On impact, the note exploded.

"Idiot." Jiko commented lowly, hanging upside down from a tree branch a couple meters away. He smirked to himself; he would be able to get there in time. However, when there was no movement through the smoke, his brow furrowed.

Surely the explosion wasn't strong enough to fatally injure him?

Frowning, Jiko straightened himself up and jumped over to the tree branch, where a large sand sphere was. Hopefully, it was just a shield.

Warily, Jiko touched the sand dome. Quickly, he pulled it back and jerked his head forward; sure enough, Gaara was a good distance ahead, dropping down to the ground.

Obviously, the Gaara Jiko had seen get blown up was merely a clone, and the sand sphere just a distraction while the real Gaara had hidden out.

Slowly, Jiko smirked.

This wasn't going to be a boring mission after all...

**//+//**

"We're here."

Panting, Azi let Meyu slid off of his back. Meyu carefully landed on her feet, legs still slightly shaking. After a moment, she straightened up and looked around; the clearing was empty, aside from a large boulder that was poised in the center.

"Stand back." Meyu said calmly, taking her time as she walked around the boulder, analyzing it. Azi nodded and maintained a yard of distance while Meyu stopped, touching a certain spot on the boulder with her index finger.

"_Kantsuu_." She mumbled, and a wire slid from the tip of her index finger, penetrating the exterior of the rock. Azi continued to look around the area impatiently.

"Hurry; I sense someone." He mumbled, and Meyu's brow furrowed as she pushed the wire deeper into the rock, trying to find the right spot.

"It could just be Jiko." She replied coolly, frowning when the wire hadn't made contact yet. Azi shook his head and began to walk, eyeing the trees intently.

"No. This isn't fast enough for Jiko." He replied before stopping in front of the boulder, back facing it. "And the chakra...It's-"

Abruptly, a giant arm of sand erupted from the ground beneath Azi, the fist closing on his lower body. "Azi!" Meyu called, looking up as the giant arm of sand rose high up into the air, Azi struggling to release himself from the giant fingers.

"Meyu, hurry up. You'll be late." Azi calmly called down to her, and she sighed.

He was too lazy to even show some type of worried expression.

"...You."

Blinking, Meyu retracted her hand away from the boulder, the wire sliding out, and turned around.

Gaara was standing apart from the trees, eyes narrowed and hand outstretched; he had obviously been the manipulator of the sand arm.

"Mr. Sandman, what brings you here?" Meyu asked with a smile, the wire sliding back into her index finger.

Gaara scowled; he already disliked the nickname after only its second use.

"...Why were you watching me?" He asked, slowly lowering his hand; however, the sand arm remained in place, Azi concealed between the fingers.

Meyu tilted her head and touched her cheek with her index finger, "Hmm. I was watching you?" She asked innocently, smiling slightly.

Gaara narrowed his eyes, "Don't act stupid." He mumbled, sand slowly pouring out of the gourd atop his back. It slithered down to the ground, crawling towards her ankles, but she ignored it.

"Why do you want to know?" Meyu asked, putting her hands behind her head and looking up at the dark sky rather than at Gaara's face.

"Give me an answer." He said lowly, the sand now touching the toes of Meyu's sandals. She gave a shrug,

"Maybe I just wanted to see if you were sleeping well."

"Don't-"

"_Kaze Toku_!"

Immediately, Gaara raised his arms to protect himself from the strong, gusty winds that had abruptly appeared. Meyu smirked to herself before glancing over her shoulder; sure enough, there was Jiko.

"If you could activate the switch, please." Jiko called down to Meyu as he traced a finger along the large sand fingers that captured Azi. A blue glow followed and in the next second the sand cracked, allowing Azi to wiggle out with the help of Jiko. Below, Meyu was concentrating on the activation.

"_Kantsuu_." The wire slid out off her index finger and into the boulder once again.

"_Sabaku kyuu_." Gaara mumbled, raising his hand up into the air. Just before he closed it into a fist, however, both Azi and Jiko had jumped off of the sand arm, it exploding behind them.

At the boulder, Meyu smirked as the wire made contact. She pushed it in an inch, and a small _click!_ was heard. She stepped back, the wire retracting into her finger, and watched as the boulder opened like a blooming flower, revealing a vertical tunnel.

"_Kai_." Jiko did a hand seal, and the winds that had surrounded the three died simultaneously. As soon as the two boys hit the ground, they sprinted for the boulder and jumped down into the tunnel, Azi being polite enough to wave over at Gaara before disappearing.

Gaara cursed under his breath, and just as Meyu raised a leg to hop over the boulder and into the tunnel, the sand wrapped itself around her left ankle. Feeling the substance, Meyu blinked and looked over her shoulder at what seemed to be a mildly pissed off Gaara.

"Mr. Sandman, you seem to be holding onto my ankle." She stated plainly, and he frowned.

"Answer my question."

"Well, even if I do answer, you won't let me go. Isn't that right?" Meyu added sweetly, and Gaara blinked.

"I won't compromise."

Meyu sighed and tugged on a loose strand of light purple hair that had fallen out of the red ribbon. "Well, if you _must_ know..."

There was a _pop!_, a puff of smoke, and a dark figure running through the smoke before jumping and disappearing down into the tunnel. Gaara immediately squeezed his hand shut, causing the sand to burst.

When the smoke cleared, however, he found that he had merely broken a long log in half.

His eye twitched in frustration, and sand began to circle him rapidly.

"Gaara? Gaara!"

Immediately upon hearing his name, the sand dropped back to the ground before slithering up into the gourd. He exhaled, not bothering to look back at Temari, who had called out to him.

"Are you alright? They got me with some explosive notes..."

Closing his eyes and ignoring her, Gaara turned around and walked straight past Temari, whose clothes were burnt along with a few patches of skin.

"We're going." He said quietly as he passed her, and she watched him wearily as he walked back the way they had come. Temari sighed and adjusted the fan on her back. Quietly, she followed her younger brother, but with a small smile.

At least when she got back to the inn, she could sleep.

Up ahead, Gaara was walking with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

_"Maybe I just wanted to see if you were sleeping well."_

How ridiculous.

**//+//**

"'Maybe I just wanted to see if you were sleeping well'?! Lame."

The girl rolled her eyes at the lazy one's comment as she sat rigidly in a chair in the cafeteria-like area, the blinded one being ordered to tie her hair up. She idly stared at the pile of rice that was supposed to be her dinner; already, she was dreaming of that ramen place in Konoha.

The blinded one behind her accidentally tugged on a strand of her light purple hair, and she hissed. "Sorry." He mumbled, and she shrugged.

"Just don't pull it all out." She replied before giving a satisfied nod when her light purple hair had been done up in a low, loose ponytail, held together by a red ribbon.

"This is stupid. We get called to come back here, and then Taji-san says that our briefing was cancelled! We could be eating satisfactory food right now." The lazy one grumbled as he poked at his own pile of rice with a chopstick. The blind one sighed as he sat into the seat across from the lazy one.

"At least it is food."

"Could have fooled me." The lazy one complained one last time before shoving the rice into his mouth grudgingly, the blinded one following suite. The girl, however, merely stared at her plate.

A good ten minutes went by until the blind one finally noticed the lacking of her movements.

"...Are you not hungry?" He asked quietly, still facing his plate. The girl blinked before shaking her head and pushing her plate towards the blind one.

"Apparently not...We'll leave again in the morning." She added before standing up and exiting the almost deserted cafeteria. The lazy one watched her back disappear into the earthen hallways before looking at the plate she had abandoned.

"Hey...You gonna eat that?"

**//+//**

The holographic window was the center of her attention in this gray, gloomy thing of a room.

It showed a beautiful night sky, with brilliant stars and a full moon.

It looked even more beautiful than the real thing.

"...You were late."

The girl glanced over her shoulder from her spot on the end of her futon before rolling her eyes. "What are you going to do? Torture me?" She gibed before going back to the hologram; he knew as well as she that nothing would be done to her.

"You haven't eaten in," He paused to glance down at a clipboard, "approximately two weeks. Have you been eating there?" He questioned, tapping a pen against the clipboard patiently. She sighed and flopped down on the bed, resting a hand on a slim stomach.

"A rice ball and a bowl of beef ramen every now and then." She replied, and he sighed before marking something down on the clipboard.

"Your diet lacks nutrients. You should-"

"Taji-san, I'm capable. Say good-night to Samuru-sama for me." She added in a closing statement before turning on her side, back facing him, and closing her eyes.

Taji flushed and scowled before shaking his head and exiting, the metal door sliding shut automatically behind him.


	5. Encounter

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not. Don't play pretend; you're no longer a child."

"I'm not..."

"See? Another lie...Don't try to coax yourself into believing that it never happened."

Tension filtered throughout the room.

"I do admit, though...You are good at faking it."

**//+//**

Gaara looked around the room; it was empty.

"Hey, we're first. Not bad, eh, Gaara?" Kankuro commented, looking around the room where the Genin were supposed to meet before the First Exam. Gaara ignored him and closed his eyes.

"...Temari; what's the time?" He suddenly asked lowly, and Temari blinked before glancing over at the clock hanging from the front wall.

"Three p.m. Right on the dot." She replied before sighing, "We have an hour to waste..."

"Yo...It's empty."

Both Kankuro and Temari looked over their shoulders while Gaara merely opened an eye at the new voice.

"...Oh."

Temari immediately narrowed her eyes; standing in front of the two doors were Azi, Jiko, and Meyu, the kids that had kept her outside for almost two days straight. Subconsciously, Temari's hand went up to a strand of her blonde hair, where the ends were burnt.

She scowled at Jiko.

"You burnt my hair..." She growled at him, touching the fan strapped to her back.

"Women and their hair; never a thing to mess with, Jiko." Azi said slyly, glancing over Meyu to give Jiko a smirk, who continued to look unfazed.

"You have some guts to just approach us like this." Kankuro boldly stated, tugging slightly on the left strap on his shoulders.

"...You have guts to say that when you left your own teammates..." Jiko replied quietly, the somewhat high collar of his shirt muffling some of his voice.

"You little-"

"Shut up Kankuro, Temari."

"Azi, Jiko, save it."

All blinking (assuming that Jiko had eyes behind the head protector), the four turned to the people that had spoken; Jiko and Azi to Meyu, while Temari and Kankuro to Gaara.

Temari shrugged before stepping back slightly; Kankuro scowled deeply, but crossed his arms over his chest in a pouting manner before closing his mouth.

Azi and Jiko both stepped back a little behind Meyu, so that she was jutting out from the group.

Meyu stared at Gaara, arms folded over her stomach. Gaara stared back, arms crossed over his chest.

There was a long, dragged out silence, in which Meyu kept a small grin on her face while Gaara remained as stolid as ever. Finally, she spoke.

"How did you sleep, Mr. Sandman?"

Her question seemed innocent enough, but the sly smirk and the tone of her voice expunged any thought of innocence from her. Gaara seemed unaffected; in fact, he continued to glare like nothing had been spoken.

"...Your presence bothers me." He suddenly mumbled, causing Meyu to raise an eyebrow.

"Really? Then why don't you do something about it?" She asked, egging Gaara on as she lowered her arms to her sides, head tilted and a smug smile spread across pale pink lips.

Obviously, she hadn't noticed that sand had already begun to pour out of the gourd on Gaara's back.

"Maybe I will." Gaara mumbled, raising his hand. Meyu blinked at it in confusion before jumping back, just in time for the sand to lunge at the spot where she had been standing seconds ago.

"Let's play, then." Meyu replied slyly, raising her arms as she balanced herself. Azi and Jiko glanced at each other before both jumping onto one of the desks that were scattered around the room. Azi plopped down onto his rear, one leg up to his chest while the other dangled over the edge. He smirked and gave a small salute to the sand manipulator.

Jiko remained standing on the desk behind Azi, arms crossed and head lowered; he made no move to hold back Meyu, who was awaiting Gaara's next move.

"Gaara, just ignore her-"

"Shut up." Gaara interrupted Temari sharply, and she frowned. She was about to object again, but Kankuro shook his head, causing her to step back and cross her arms over her chest.

"...Why do you choose to aggravate me?"

Meyu blinked at Gaara's sudden question before smiling slowly.

"Because I know you love it."

**//+//**

An older boy smirked up at the building, the light breeze blowing light purple hair around his eyes. Sighing, he ran a hand through it, trying to smooth it back but to no avail.

'_Oh well._' He thought idly, fixing the black, fingerless gloves on his hands as he walked towards the entrance.

'_She likes it when it's ruffled anyways._'

**//+//**

She cut at the sand with short wires that protruded from her palms, using them like two kunai knives.

Temari and Kankuro had trouble following the fast pace of both Meyu's movements and Gaara's sand, but to Azi and Jiko, this speed was old news.

"Can you keep up?"

Meyu sliced through the sand and sprinted towards Gaara, whose eyes widened slightly when he actually had to dodge, his sand coming up behind Meyu, too slow to block in time.

"Eh, **Mr. Sandman**?" She pressed coyly, only to jump back when sand shot towards her face.

Smirking, she twisted herself backwards so that her hands were on the floor and her stomach was stretched, facing the ceiling. Quickly, in a back flip, she flipped her feet over her head, and when they made contact with the tiled floor, she pushed one palm forward into the air, short, jagged wires flying from her hand at Gaara in blinding speed.

A curved wedge of sand sped from the ground, the wires digging into the sand a few inches away from Gaara's face.

Meyu scowled, but lunged forward into a cartwheel, and twisted herself a few feet in front of Gaara so that her leg was stretched out into a kick. Gaara easily stepped to the left and raised his arm, where another curved wall of sand appeared.

Instead of her target, Meyu's foot crashed into the solid sand wall. However, she smirked and twisted her foot around, ready to use to the wall as a vertical launch pad. Her knees were bent, ready to lunge, but something made her lose focus.

Clapping, a smug smirk.

"Alright Yume. Fight, fight, fight..."

Meyu slipped her foot against the smooth sand and fell to the tiled ground, landing on her knees with a hiss. Gaara blinked and looked over where the two doors were now open, the sand dropping to the ground so that it spread underneath Meyu's figure.

"Huh, well look it here...The entire daycare is out to play."

Azi narrowed his eyes and rubbed his hands together, blue chakra glowing around them. Jiko moved his head around in a circle, stretching his neck so that the cracks of muscle were audible.

Meyu raised her head, moving her right knee up so that she was only kneeling on one.

Red violet caught onto red violet, one smirking, the other stolid.

"Surprised to see me?" He asked coyly, one red violet eye that was identical to hers winking at her. One hand was on his hip, covered in a fingerless black glove along with his other. His torso was covered with a white shirt with a black collar, and his lower-body with black running pants. Like herself, his arms were bandaged from his wrists to the end of his sleeves.

Gaara glanced back at Meyu before back at this new person; he seemed to be at least two years older. Temari's age, possibly.

"You're an interruption." Gaara suddenly said, slicing through the new tension in the room. Blinking, the newcomer glanced over at the sand manipulator before grinning.

"Oh-ho, aren't you all high and mighty?"

"Sorry Mr. Sandman." Blinking, Gaara glanced back at Meyu, who had stood up and was now brushing off unseen dirt from her arms. She looked over at him and smirked, "I guess we'll just have to finish this during the Exam."

Gaara narrowed his eyes, and the sand that had lain on the ground began to rise. However, as it rose it merely slinked back into the gourd on his back. Meyu stared for a moment before turning back to the newcomer, who was still smirking coyly.

"Azi, Jiko, I'll be back momentarily." She said lowly, looking over at the two. Jiko frowned, but Azi actually worded his protest.

"We're here if something...Happens." He said lowly, his tone intimidating as his face turned to the older boy.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was that supposed to be an implied threat?" The older one sneered, and Azi made a move to jump off of the desk, but Jiko moved slightly in front of him.

"_Ochitsukeru_." Jiko mumbled, glancing down at Azi, who scowled but nodded, looking away.

"Follow me." Meyu said quietly, walking not to the front doors, but to a door on the side, the older one following.

'_...Now, of all times..._'

Calmly, she pushed open the door and slipped into the side-room, he following.

'_Now, you decide to come back._'

**//+//**

"It's occurring perfectly. The subject has been showing no internal emotion, nor physical weaknesses."

A hand played against the frame of a picture.

"It appears so...How is our target?"

"She's also appearing in the Chunin Exam. Will you be sending the two out now?"

Another hand held loosely onto a clipboard.

Fingers traced a sketch of the anatomy of the target. A few footnotes were scribbled onto the side that the fingers disregarded.

"No. The target hasn't grown yet...Give her time."

"..What about the subject, then? Shall I go retrieve her?"

The other hand clutched the clipboard a little more tightly and pressed it to the owner's chest.

"...No. It still has a job to do."

A frown.

"A job so important that you decide not to share it with me...?"

A low smirk.

"Why share it when you've already figured it out? I trust in you to decipher my plans."

A smug smirk that was covered with a clipboard.

"Of course, Samuru-sama."

**//+//**

"My, my, have you grown..."

She scowled and immediately crossed her arms over her chest, trying to block as much of her body from his view as possible. He noticed and moved his gaze to her face, smirking widely.

"You know...We're only _half_ siblings..." He cooed, stepping towards her.

Immediately, multiple wires shoot up from the ground in front of her, serving as a barrier in-between the two. He chuckled at this, leaning forward towards the wires, placing his hands on the jagged surface.

"I assume that you don't want to warm up to me?"

"Not in the least. Why are you here?" She asked, allowing the wires to seep back into the ground, the barrier disappearing. He stepped back and grinned widely, running a hand through his hair, the color almost identical to hers.

"I can't just come to chit-chat?" He asked sweetly, and she frowned. There was a pause, and he gave a toothy grin, "Stay still."

She only had time to blink before he grabbed the front of her shirt, twisting her around so that her back was facing his chest. Automatically, wires began to retract from her palms, but she hissed when wires that were not her own slowly slithered around her arms, just sharp enough to slice through the bandages and into her skin.

"So, you _don't_ know everything about the Okino bloodline, do you?" He mumbled into her ear, and she flinched.

She focused on pushing the wires away, but they only seemed to press into her more. She sighed as the wire dug into her skin even more.

"How does it feel? To have the Sensoujuu used _against_ you?"

'_Sen nankan_!' Brow furrowed in concentration, she pressed the wires away from her skin, beginning to pant; she wasn't used to using this much chakra in one move.

"Aw, you think you can over-power me...How admirable." He teased, easily pushing the wires back.

"Y-Yukio-kun..."

He blinked, and then turned her around before backing her up against a wall, still smirking.

"Mm?" Yukio asked, the wires compressing around her body again. "Are you giving up, Yume-chan?"

She gasped when the wires compressed, her chest being squeezed and her lungs deflating.

"I just have to check one little thing..." Yukio cooed, putting a hand in-between two wires and lifting her up against the wall, placing a knee in-between her legs so that she wouldn't slide down.

"Is this...Necessary, then?" She wheezed out, squirming when she was lifted so that she was eye-level with the taller boy.

He smirked, "No. But I'm having fun." He added huskily before lowering his head toward the crone of her neck, using his free hand to move hair out of the way.

She looked away when she felt his fingers playing across her neck, obviously searching for something. However, after a moment of his fingers against her skin, he pulled away, causing her to slide down to the ground without the support of his body.

"Damn, Yume..."

She peeked up at him, still unable to move her arms, for the wires stayed intact. Yukio looked down at her with some type of expression on his face; disappointment? Maybe a secret sadness?

"Why do you have to be so damn complicated?" He said with a sigh before snapping his fingers, the wires immediately unraveling and digging back into the ground.

Panting, she used the wall behind her for support as she pushed herself up, eyes averted to the ground in shame. She had allowed herself to be taken down so easily, so quickly.

It was an embarrassment.

"Why couldn't you do something right and not follow in _his_ footsteps for once!" Yukio scolded, once again pressing his body against hers, trapping her in-between him and the wall.

"You've been branded too, haven't you?" He growled, slamming a fist into the wall just a couple inches away from the side of her head.

"What's it to you?" She finally countered, her voice a little raspy but otherwise fine.

"What's it to me? You could be in the honored position of working with Orochimaru-sama, but instead you work with that worthless piece of shit. It makes no sense."

"_Quiet_." She hissed, scanning the area; she knew that no one was in the room, but one was never sure. "Ears are _everywhere_." She whispered heatedly to him, not noticing that his eyes had grown dark and that his breathing had gotten slightly heavy.

"...I figured it out..." Yukio suddenly said, his free hand traveling to her neck. She tensed and immediately began to draw up chakra, but his low chuckle stopped her. "Don't; I'll just use it against you again." He murmured, pressing his hand to her neck. She narrowed her eyes at him, but knew that he was correct.

"Don't touch me." She tried instead, only for him to grin.

"Why not? You can't _feel_ it."

There was a long pause. She slowly lowered her eyes and pursed her lips, making sure nothing came out. He smirked at how effective this fact was, and continued to let his hand travel up to her cheek.

"You can feel some things...Sadness, anger, uneasiness...." He added coyly when she turned her face away at his touch. "But you don't like those things, do you?" He asked, now cupping her chin, forcing her to look at him. Once their eyes met, he grinned.

"I wonder if you would be able to feel pleasure..." He mused, moving his face towards hers. Just as his lips were about to brush against her own, she moved.

In one swift movement, she had kneed Yukio in the crotch, and when he bent over from pain, her elbow made contact with his nose.

"Guh..." Yukio groaned as he put his head against the tiled floor, on his knees. She looked down at him before shaking her head.

"You've been gone far too long, Yukio." She stated idly before turning on her heel and opening the door that led into the main room.

'_Far too long to know anything about me._'


	6. Burn

"Meyu, your aura..."

"You look a little shaken up; are you okay?"

She smiled and waved her hand, disregarding the question. "Of course. Just a little reunion, that's all."

Azi and Jiko looked at each other; they both doubted that that was the case.

**//+//**

"_Sasuke-kun_!"

Gaara blinked and casually glanced through the crowds of people; a majority of them were much older, and had a rugged appeal to them. However, these people were not of his focus.

He easily spotted the Uchiha, a blonde throwing herself onto him, through the crowd of Genin.

"He's an interest to you?"

Gaara looked to his side; it was Meyu. At least, that was what she had introduced herself as...

"...Stop pestering me." He mumbled, turning away. Meyu frowned at his back, but sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, glancing through the crowds to watch as the Uchiha and his friends talk to an oddly familiar older teen with glasses.

"So, are we going to finish this in the Exam?"

Gaara blinked and looked over his shoulder; she was still watching the Uchiha, smiling. He narrowed his eyes before turning back around, "Don't let your guard down; it'll be too easy if you do." He stated before walking away, leaving Meyu to chuckle to herself.

"...Why do you always stray from the missions?" She blinked and looked over her shoulder, only to smile.

"I'm not straying, just...Making it more interesting." Meyu replied to Jiko, turning her head in the direction that Uchiha was. The older teen with glasses was holding three cards up to him.

"By constantly aggravating him?" Jiko countered back lowly, and Meyu smirked, glancing over to the far left, where she could just make out Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari.

"By whatever means necessary."

**//+//**

"...It seems he returned from all of his missions without even a scratch." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the nin-card, which showed the profile of Gaara of the Hidden Sand, along with the first one that showed Rock Lee of Leaf. He then glanced at the third one, which was still in Kabuto's hand.

"Ah, and the girl..." Kabuto said idly, flipping the card so that the information faced Sasuke.

"Meyu from the Hidden Sand. Her teammates are Azi and Jiko, both from Sand as well."

An image of a girl his age was on the card; purple hair that was tied up with a lone, red ribbon, and red violet eyes. It was Meyu, alright.

"Anything else?" Sasuke asked, seeing nothing else but her picture on the card. Kabuto frowned wistfully and shook his head, "Sorry, but that's all I got. The three registered last-minute, and I only caught their names."

"I see..." Sasuke's brow furrowed in thought. '_Something's up...We better watch out for her._'

'_Why would Sasuke-kun want to know who she is anyway?_' Sakura thought with a slight frown as the cards were wiped clean by Kabuto.

'_Ugh, more weirdoes I have to defeat._' Naruto thought as he smirked; this Chuunin Exam was going to be a lot more interesting than he thought.

**//+//**

"Hey."

Azi nudged Meyu in the stomach, who craned her neck in the direction that he was looking in.

She smirked; it looked like Uzumaki was already shaking in his boots. "Hmph, as expected..." Jiko mumbled from behind her, and she chuckled.

"Wait and see..." She said lightly, closing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest before idly leaning against a desk, waiting. Azi raised an eyebrow at her before looking to Jiko, who shrugged.

"**MY NAME IS UZUMAKI NARUTO!! I WON'T LOSE TO ANY OF YOU!!!**"

The strong tension that had been in the room from the beginning immediately began to grow, along with frustration and annoyance. The crowd, however, remained stiffly silent.

Meyu opened an eye and grinned, eyeing Uzumaki, who was still beaming foolishly and pointing his finger at them all. Jiko frowned deeply while Azi chuckled.

"Sorry Jiko; you were wrong about that one." Azi said slyly, and Jiko huffed before looking away.

**//+//**

"So, what do you think Neji?" Tenten asked her teammate, Hyuuga Neji, who smirked and leaned forward from his seat behind a desk.

"He's spirited." He replied before glancing at Rock Lee, also a teammate, "I guess you didn't beat him down enough, Lee." He commented before looking back to Uzumaki.

**//+//**

Gaara looked to the side at Uzumaki as well, Kankuro eyeing the same boy. '_Hey, it's that same guy from before..._' Kankuro thought, recognizing the annoying, loud voice. Gaara remained impassive and silent, but there was a spark of curiosity in his eye when he noticed in the far left corner, that Meyu was staring at the blonde as well.

**//+//**

'_Heh, so that's the Kyuubi...Quite entertaining._' Yukio thought with a smirk as he leaned against a wall, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes lingered on Uzumaki for only a moment, however, for they spotted a mix of black and navy blue. He followed the colors, and his smirk widened when he spotted his target throughout the midst of the crowd.

**//+//**

"Hn. How did a moron like that get in the Chuunin Exam?" Kurogawi Keij asked, gray eyes flashing darkly, as he leaned against a desk.

Yoshiko Zane frowned and scratched his cheek, emerald eyes glinting, "Maybe he paid?"

"Oh please; you two are so mean to him." Murabashi Kaya scolded lightly, pale green eyes narrowed in Keij's direction, causing him to huff and look away.

**//+//**

"Yume; I see her."

**//+//**

_A sack was dropped onto the table in front of him, it jingling as it made contact with the wood. Obviously, it was heavy with coins._

_"Your payment." He said lowly, eyeing the other man that stood before him, whose eyes eagerly lit up. _

_"Ah, __**arigato**__ Kazekage-sama," the other man replied, greedily scooping the sack up and weighing it; it was satisfyingly heavy._

_"...The child?" The first man inquired, his face cast in a dark shadow from the wide, cone-shaped hat atop his head. The other man blinked before smirking, tying the sack to his belt. _

_"Ah, yes. She's due in a week."_

_"And the woman?"_

_"We both agreed; you can have the child a week after her birth." The other man replied, and the first man gave a nod. _

_"Fair."_

_"Are you sure you don't want either of the two boys as well? They are in great physical shape-"_

_"No; the deal is sealed. Now leave." The first man interrupted firmly, and the other man frowned, but bowed and exited._

_The sound of coins jangling together could be heard throughout the room as he exited._

**//+//**

"Keij, what's happening?"

"...I can't see."

Keij, Kaya, and Zane all tried to see around the much taller Genins in the area, but without much success. All the three knew was that someone had vomited from a dodged attack; obviously something that peaked their interest. Despite both being maybe one or two years older than most of the Konoha Rookies, they still weren't tall enough to see over the older teens' shoulders.

"It was an interesting attack...A shame you couldn't see it." All three blinked and turned around at the voice that they assumed was directed at them.

A slightly younger girl smiled slyly at them, two boys her age on either side of her. "You would have been surprised."

"Who the hell are you?" Keij asked roughly, causing Kaya to scowl at him.

"_Keij_."

"Uhn, Kaya's right! You're so rude to a lady." Zane scolded, flashing a smile at the girl, whom he determined was a year younger.

She chuckled, "Formality is not needed. Anyways, I'm not conversing with _you_," she added, giving Keij a hard stare, "I was talking to _her_." She added, looking to Kaya with a smile and much softer, red violet eyes.

Kaya smiled weakly, "_Gomen_; Keij is not exactly polite."

"So I've noticed." The girl replied, ignoring as Keij snorted. Kaya ignored him as well and folded her hands together.

"I'm Murabashi Kaya; who are you?"

"Meyu. This is Azi," Meyu nudged to a tall boy with light blue hair and three earrings in his left ear, "and this is Jiko," she added, jerking her head back a little to motion to the taller of the boys; his eyes were covered with a Suna head protector.

Kaya smiled at each of them before looking back at her own teammates, "This is Kurogawi Keij and Yoshiko Zane; Zane's the nice one." She added teasingly, motioning to the carrot-top as he grinned sheepishly.

Meyu smirked, "Nice to meet you," she said, elbowing Azi and Jiko, who both grumbled a welcoming.

Kaya smiled meekly and hesitantly stuck out a hand to Meyu in welcoming, who eyed it suspiciously. There was a pause as she stared at it before smiling and grabbing onto it with her own.

As soon as their hands made contact, both jumped away with a flinch and a hiss.

"What happened?" Keij immediately asked as Kaya backed up towards him, holding her right hand gingerly; it was burnt. She forced a weak smile, however, and put her hand behind her back.

"Nothing."

"...I see." Jiko mumbled as he traced a finger across the palm of Meyu's hand, his way of seeing; her hand was also burnt, but more severely than Kaya's.

"Good luck in the Exam." Azi abruptly said, catching Meyus eye. She nodded and looked back to Team 28 with a pained smirk.

"Yes, we don't want you three dropping out too quickly."

Kaya blinked blankly, unsure on what to say as the three quickly darted through the people.

'_...What just happened?_'

**//+//**

"Write this in your card: The three from the Hidden Village of Sound will definitely become Chuunins."

Uzumaki Naruto gritted his teeth as he glared up at the Sound-nin with the spiky black hair; he already had an uneasy feeling about these guys.

'_Kabuto should have dodged that attack. But why did he vomit?_' Uchiha Sasuke thought, jaw clenched as he watched the three Sound-nin warily. The attack had obviously missed hitting Kabuto, and yet his glasses had broken _and_ he had vomited.

Something else must have played a part in this.

**//+//**

"It burned right through the bandages..." Azi mumbled as he watched Jiko gently rub some gauze onto Meyu's palm from his spot atop a desk. Jiko frowned as he put the gauze back into his kunai pouch, trading it for a roll of clean bandages.

"We need to avoid confrontation with them. Understand?" Jiko added after he had wrapped her hand anew. Meyu frowned and raised her had up, staring at it as she flexed her fingers.

'_Why? After all..._' She glanced over to the far left, where she could spot Murabashi Kaya blinking rapidly as Kurogawi Keij bandaged her own hand. '_She's my target...Right?_'

**//+//**

Abruptly, near the front of the room, there was a loud _pop!_

"**Quiet down you punks!**"

Everyone in the room looked towards the front, where a puff of smoke was beginning to clear away. Some swallowed nervously, while others smirked, confident in their abilities.

Finally, the smoke cleared, revealing about a dozen older men and woman, all dressed in pretty much the same attire except for the one in the front. The one in the front was a burly man, wielding a long black cloak that developed a certain air of mystery and fear about him.

Upon closer inspection, most could see that his face was hard, despite the smirk, and that the scars slashing across his face were evident.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

The man said slyly, although it was apparent that no feelings of sorrow were felt at keeping the Genin waiting.

"I am the examiner of the first test of the Chuunin Selection Exam," the man's smirk widened as his eyes traveled across the room, surveying the arrogant, surprised, scared, or plain emphatic looks of the Genin.

"**Morino Ibiki**."


	7. Plans

"_I'm not infiltrating this Exam. It's pointless!"_

"_You will do as you are told, no complaints."_

"_We had to create our own sensei to sign us up for it! If the officials find out…"_

"_Does it matter? If they find out, you'll only be kicked out of the Exam."_

"_Then what's the point of entering it?!"_

"_You have one sole purpose, and that is gaining information on her; oh, and that little side-mission. That's all you need to think about. Now go to your quarters; I have things to attend to."_

_Footsteps echoed across the room as the soles of sandals slapped against marble floors. A door was opened and then shut, and a body lay against it, sighing._

**//+//**

"I'm sorry. I was excited because this is my first exam."

A boy with bad posture looked at Morino Ibiki, who had just scolded the three Sound-nins. Ibiki smirked before looking around the room.

"This is a good chance to say this..."

Everyone immediately glanced over at him.

"You are not allowed to fight each other during the exam unless given permission by the examiners. Even if the permission is given, you are not allowed to kill the other." Ibiki's brow furrowed in a serious tone as he continued, "Pigs who go against my rules will be failed immediately. _Understood?_" He added, looking around the room sternly.

No one objected until the Sound-nin with the spiky hair smirked and chuckled, "This exam seems so soft and easy," he said coyly, causing the examiners behind Ibiki to give low chuckles.

Ibiki ignored them and straightened himself up, hands behind his back, "We will now begin the first exam of the Chuunin Selection Exam," he announced. "Turn in your applications, take one of these number tags," Ibiki proceeded to hold of a small, white cube with the number 1 written on it, "and sit where the number tells you to. Then we will pass out the papers for the written exam."

In the far left corner of the room, Azi scowled, "Written exam?"

Jiko glanced over at him, "Is that a problem?"

"_No!_ Just...Unexpected." Azi mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown while Meyu sighed.

"Koji, you can take care of this." Jiko leaned back against the wall with a shrug.

**//+//**

After the applications were passed in, the number tags received, and the test papers distributed to the Genin, everyone had found their marked spots and had sat down.

'_Koji is four rows behind me, and Zai is three rows to the left of me in the middle. Mr. Uchiha is three rows to the left and down two, Uzumaki down three, and Mr. Sandman..._'

Meyu smiled down at the row right below her, where Gaara was stolidly sitting. '_Is right in front of me. How fun._'

Up in the front of the room, Ibiki tapped a piece of chalk against the chalkboard, gaining everyone's attention.

"This First Exam has a few important rules," Ibiki announced, looking around the room. "I will not accept any questions, so listen carefully," He added, giving another few taps on the chalkboard before turning around and beginning to write.

"The first rule is you are all given ten points at the start. The written exam consists of ten questions, and each is worth one point." He explained, writing this on the board. Meyu sighed and cupped her cheek in one hand, shifting her weight onto her left elbow. '_Boring, boring..._'

"This test is a deduction based test. If you get one problem wrong, you will get one point deducted." Ibiki continued, turning back around to face the Genin. "If you get three problems wrong, your points will be reduced to seven."

Near the left, Azi scratched at his ear. '_Ten chances? Uhn..._'

"Second rule, the pass-fail decision will be determined by your teams total points."

At this, everyone in the room seemed to tense up.

Near the front, Haruno Sakura hit her head on the desk, "W-Wait! Your teams' total points?! What?!"

"_Shut up!_" Ibiki scolded, earning a low chuckle from both Azi and Meyu, who glanced at each other from opposite sides of the room.

"There is a reason for this. Just shut up and listen," Ibiki stated while Sakura slid a little father down her seat.

"Now that you know, let's move on to the next rule." Ibiki continued, "If an examiner determines that you cheated or do something similar during the test..."

Meyu glanced to her left, where the examiners were all sitting in a line. One with his head completely bandaged except for the mouth smirked at her, and she frowned.

"Each action will cause you to lose two points."

Another gasp from a few people commenced.

"In other words, there will be people who will be forced to leave this place without their tests being graded," Ibiki explained, a low smirk on his face.

"Those who try to cheat without thinking carefully will only hurt themselves."

"We'll 'check' you at any time," An examiner said slyly, a few bandages covering his nose. A few people swallowed nervously.

"You are all trying to become Chuunins. If you are a ninja, **act like a first-rate one**."

In the back, Jiko lowered his head, arms crossed over his chest. '_...I see._'

Near the middle, Meyu smiled and glanced down at Gaara, whose eyes were closed. '_First-rate, huh?_'

On the left, Azi sneered and coyly leaned forward in his seat. '_Heh, if __**that's**__ what they want...We can deliver._'

"Also," Ibiki started, "if anyone in a team gets a zero, everyone on that team will fail."

"**What did you say?!**"

Near the front, Naruto swallowed and quivered in his seat. '_I feel two people trying to kill me..._'

"The last problem will be given 45 minutes after the exam begins," Ibiki further announced, looking around the room and up at the clock. "You have one hour for the exam." He waited until the second-hand was at the twelve.

"**Begin!**"

**//+//**

In-between two other Genin boys, Meyu was still. Her hands were at her sides, and had not moved at all. Her face was focused towards the paper, and her brow furrowed.

Azi looked exactly the same, as did Jiko.

A Genin boy that was sitting next to Meyu accidentally elbowed her, and he gave a quick apology, not noticing that his elbow actually went right through a hologram.

**//+//**

The boys' bathroom was deserted. It was the perfect location.

"Gross; why couldn't we use the girls'?" Meyu asked with a disdainful look around.

Jiko and Azi both just stared at her openly for a long moment before Jiko shook his head, squatting down on the floor.

"How long will the holograms last?" Meyu shuddered one last time before looking down at Jiko, who was spreading a scroll out on the floor.

"We have fifteen minutes; plenty of time," She added, adjusting the Suna head protector that she had moved from her waist to around her neck. Azi yawned and stretched his arms behind his head lazily.

"Okay, plan?"

"First, we pass this exam. Then the plan." Meyu added, causing Jiko to frown.

"We're not doing the 'plan'," Jiko said lowly, motioning to the scroll on the ground that contained a map of Konoha, the Leaf.

"We're finding a new stable area after this; _remember_?"

Meyu scowled, "I just did that a couple days ago," She mumbled, aimlessly kicking at the tiled ground. Azi nodded.

"Come on, Koji; ease up!"

"...Fine."

Jiko reluctantly rolled the scroll back up, held it in the palm of his hand, and it disappeared with a small puff of smoke.

"But..." Jiko grabbed Meyu's hand, and she flinched; the burn still stung.

"**No contact.** Got it?"

"What are you? Taji-san?"

**//+//**

All at once, the three holograms seemed to come back to life. Meyu blinked a few times before stretching out her arms. Jiko rolled his neck, and Azi yawned, stretching his legs underneath the desk.

'_Okay, Koji, let's see what you can do._'

Meyu leaned forward, her torso covering her paper, and idly stared down at Gaara's pate. His left arm was outstretched over the desk, and she tilted her head in curiosity.

Suddenly, sand began to spiral around his wrist and hand, and she smirked before glancing around the room. '_Looks like pretty much everyone's caught on._'

A few rows away, a boy with a dog atop his head was diligently writing answers down as the dog quietly gave low barks into his ear.

The boy with the bad posture sat quietly, his visible eye closed, as he carefully listened to the sound waves that was emitting from the use of a pencil writing down the answers. After a few moments, the boy himself began to write confidently.

A different boy was easily writing the answers to the test, not noticing that a small fly was sitting by him, staring at it with big eyes. Finally noticing the bug, the boy shooed it away with his hand, causing the bug to fly away. The insect then landed on Aburame Shino's outstretched fingers, his sunglasses reflecting the light in the room. "Good, now tell me." The fly then flew above Shino's paper and began moving around. Shino nodded and then continued to write.

Mirror panels from a light from above were being moved by invisible chakra strings, the reflection of the bug boy easy to see. Tenten flexed her fingers, adjusting the panels, as she stared at Lee's back. Lee looked up and strapped on his head protector to his forehead; he could see.

Jiko had his index and middle finger together, quietly gathering up chakra; his paper had already been finished. '_Yume, Zai, here you go._' Not gaining any attention, Jiko put his palm on the paper, which glowed blue for a second. He then sighed and flipped the paper over, his head facing Meyu's back.

Meyu smirked when she felt something rise underneath her torso, and she sat back in her seat. Sure enough, a raised imprint of Jiko's test sat beside her own, blank test. She glanced over to her left, and saw that Azi was easily marking down answers. She smiled. '_Good work, Koji._' She then began to copy the easy-to-read answers that were imprinted on the desk onto her paper.

**//+//**

Naruto grinned as he leaned down to get a better look at Hyuuga Hinata's test, only to immediately pull back when a kunai whizzed by him, landing on the paper of a person right behind him.

Everyone looked up, curious as to what had happened.

The boy that had his test pierced through with a kunai shook before swallowing and standing up. "What is the meaning of this?!"

An examiner, the one that had made the sole comment in the beginning, smirked, "You screwed up five times. You fail."

The boy's eyes grew wide, and his mouth was agape, "W-What...?"

The examiner calmly pointed at the boy, "Teammates of his get out of here. Right now."

Two other boys stood up, eyes closed, before walking past the first boy, whose mouth was still open in shock. The first boy was still shaking, but he did not move for a while. Finally, when he moved, the examiner called out his number, "Number 23, fail."

"Number 43 and 27, fail."

"_No!_" One boy protested, kicking as he was being dragged out of the room by two examiners.

Someone slammed his hand down on the desk as he stood up, "Hey, man, do you have proof that I cheated five times?! Are you _really_ able to watch over this many people?!" Just as he finished, the examiner with his head bandaged moved in, his arm making contact with the Genin's neck as he slammed the Genin into the left wall.

"Listen up. We are Chuunins that were chosen for this exam. Elites, so to say," The examiner explained smoothly, smirking. "We won't miss a single thing you do. My strength is the proof," He added, taking his arm away from the Genin's neck, causing the Genin to slide down to the floor.

Near the back, Meyu rolled her eyes and sighed, flipping her test over and touching the imprint with her index finger, causing it to sink back into the desk. "Hasty, hasty..."

The examiner glanced over at her with a smirk, and casually walked over to her row, hands in his pockets. "A problem, ma'am?" His tone was coy and teasing; Meyu looked up at him idly.

"So much noise when I'm trying to work; don't you want me to pass?" Her own tone was also teasing, and the examiner looked slightly taken aback, but easily recovered with another coy smile and a low bow, "My apologies, **ma'am**."

Finally, everyone had settled down and went back to the exam.

**//+//**

Haruno Sakura quickly began to write the answers, determined that she was right.

Hyuuga Neji looked around the room before closing his eyes. '_Byakugan!_' He then reopened them, veins surrounding them. He stared through the boy in front of him, easily seeing through his back and setting his eyes on the paper.

Uchiha Sasuke reopened his eyes. '_Sharingan!_' He looked forward and saw the boy in front of him writing diligently. Smirking, he easily began to copy the boy's every movement, writing down answers quickly without even looking at his own paper.

Yamanaka Ino smirked as she stared at Sakura's back. She put her hands together before forming a circle with them, Sakura being in the center. '_Ninpou Shintenshin no Jutsu!_' Suddenly, she slumped in her seat, her head against the desk. Ahead, Sakura jumped forward, as if she was hit in the back. After a moment, however, she smirked and picked up her test, her eyes traveling across the words, trying to memorize them. '_Now, I need to memorize these answers quickly. I have to let Shikamaru and Chouji copy them._'

"Number 59, fail."

"Number 33 and 9, fail."

Azi smirked coyly as he flipped his test over and touched the imprint of Jiko's test with his finger. He was done.

"Number 41, fail."

"Number 35 and 62, fail."

Meyu watched as the boy on her left quietly got up and exited, not sparing Number 35 a glance, obviously the teammate that had caused him to leave. Meyu smirked; that was the fourteenth team that had failed. There was some commotion, but she ignored it as she turned her attention back to Gaara.

He was finally going to act.

She watched as he held his left hand with his palm facing up, and as sand began to collect there. He was covering his left eye with his right hand, and she tilted her head in curiosity. She leaned forward to get a better look, and her eyebrow rose when she saw that an eye had appeared in the palm of his hand.

Gaara then closed his hand over the eye, and it seemed to burst, turning into sand. The sand then spread throughout the room, and it hovered over a boy who was easily writing down answers. Suddenly, the boy stopped and rubbed at his eyes, "Something got in my eye...Damn it." While the boy was rubbing his eyes, the eye appeared above the paper, and quickly scanned the answers.

Meyu smirked when Gaara brought his hand down and picked up his pencil, beginning to write.

'_Mr. Sandman...You are one interesting kid._'


	8. Meetings

_"Don't interact with her; just observe."_

_"How boring...Why do __**I**__ have to do it?"_

_He gave a low smirk._

_"If you are so bored by the task, would you like a side-mission to relate with this one?"_

_"__**Anything**__."_

_"Well, why don't you check out this, then?"_

**//+//**

'_Tick-tock, time has stopped..._'

Meyu stared blankly at the clock that was poised on a wall, eyes glazed over. She couldn't understand how most people weren't done yet; if you knew how to cheat, this exam would be a breeze. She was also faintly surprised at how many teams had failed.

She diverted her gaze away from the clock, hoping that it would make time go by faster, and settled her gaze back on the rest of the Genin.

"Excuse me."

She blinked and a slow smirk settled in as she watched Kankuro raise his hand.

"What is it?"

He lowered his hand and smiled sheepishly, "I need to go to the bathroom..."

Meyu glanced around the room and caught the eye of both Azi and Jiko. Quietly, she did a few hand seals, and the three flickered simultaneously for a second before becoming still.

**//+//**

The boys' bathroom was occupied.

"Those examiners aren't as good as I thought. They don't even notice that there's one extra examiner."

Kankuro smirked as he continued on with his business, the examiner that was sent to the bathroom with him standing on the opposite side of a screen, "Don't you think so, too, Karasu?"

The side of the examiner's face crumbled away, slightly revealing a large black eye.

Suddenly, there was a _thud!_ from one of the bathroom stalls. Kankuro looked over his shoulder curiously, but saw nothing, shrugged, and went back to business.

"A puppeteer?"

Kankuro blinked before frowning and zipping himself back up, "Who's there?"

"Wow. I didn't even notice."

Kankuro looked around the bathroom, eyes narrowed. "Show yourself!"

"Up here, dumb ass."

Kankuro scowled and looked up, only for his eyes to grow wide and for him to automatically cover himself with his arms.

"You guys _again_?! And _you_! You're a _girl_!"

The three dropped down from the ceiling, Meyu landing first. She rolled her eyes, "Please, like I was watching."

"What do you three want? I thought we were going to settle this _later_," Kankuro added scornfully, remembering the short-lived fight between Gaara and Meyu.

Azi blinked, "It _is_ later."

"_Nagoyaka_." Azi scowled at Jiko's demand, but obeyed and closed his mouth. Meyu crossed her arms over her chest.

"Right, _anyways_...We have a deal for you."

"Whatever. I have an exam to pass," Kankuro said idly, beginning to walk past the three towards the bathroom exit, only for a kunai to fly right by his face and embedding itself in the wall next to him. His eyes narrowed as he glanced over at them, Azi twirling a kunai around his index finger by the handle.

"Okay, listen up punks. I'm not in the mood for your shit. So just back off, and no one gets hurt." Kankuro then cracked his knuckles, as if to emphasize his last phrase. Azi and Meyu both shared a glance before Azi smirked, coolly tucking the kunai behind his ear like a pencil.

"Oh, I'm _terrified_," Azi sneered, and Jiko sighed before putting two fingers to his headband.

"Here's our proposal: you keep Gaara-sama away from Meyu and we'll stay away."

"_Excuse me?_"

"_That's_ your proposal? What shit. I'm going before the examiners start to get smart." Both Azi and Meyu were paralyzed from shock at Jiko's proposal, and they allowed Kankuro to walk past them and back into the hallway, the puppet of an examiner following.

There was a long silence, in which Jiko refused to look at either of his two teammates.

"...What the hell was that?" Meyu finally broke the silence, eyes narrowed as she glared over at Jiko, who continued to look away.

"Koji, what the hell happened to the proposal that we planned on _days_ ago?!!"

"...I apologize," Jiko mumbled. Meyu was about to say something, but instead sighed, her face softening. Azi, however, was just getting started.

"You _screwed up_ big time! You stupid-"

Azi was silenced when a wire plate strapped itself over his mouth. His protests muffled, he clawed at the stupid piece of metal that was of Meyu's doing.

Meyu rubbed at her temples, her head thumping. "Come on...We'll discuss this later," She added, looking over at Jiko who frowned but nodded.

Finally, the metal plate fell back down to the ground before crawling over to Meyu and strapping itself around her upper thigh. Azi sucked in air greedily, but didn't say anything.

Everything would be sorted out later.

**//+//**

The three flickered, and once again, the Sand-nin stretched.

Jiko kept his head lowered, ashamed. This was the first time he had not followed a plan; his first outburst of emotion.

His hands formed fists.

**//+//**

Azi looked up at the clock scornfully. '_40 minutes have passed already; the tenth problem should be coming up soon._' He smirked to himself. '_Doesn't matter; even if I get that one wrong I have 9 correct answers along with Yume and Koji. We'll pass for sure._'

**//+//**

"Okay," Ibiki started, projecting his voice, "I will now give the tenth problem!"

Meyu looked up with a sly smirk. '_How easy._'

She blinked, however, when she noticed there was an empty seat where a paper was. She tilted her head in confusion; it was Kankuro's seat.

_"I'm going before the examiners start to get smart."_

Suddenly, she clenched her jaw and fisted her hands. '_The noise from the stall! He played us!_'

"Yes, but before that, there's one thing I must say..."

Still aggravated, Meyu glared at Ibiki as everyone waited for him to continue.

"There will be one special rule for this last question."

Suddenly, a door creaked, and Kankuro stepped into the room, followed by the examiner. When he noticed the tension in the room, he blinked. Ibiki noticed him and smirked, "You're lucky."

The examiner closed the door behind him, and Kankuro stared at Ibiki idly.

"Your puppet show didn't have to go to waste."

Meyu blinked in surprise. '_He knew...?_'

'_He knows about Karasu...!_' Kankuro thought in surprise, eyes narrowed.

"Oh well, sit down."

Kankuro frowned, but walked towards his seat. Without being noticed, as he passed by Temari's seat on the end, he calmly dropped a tiny capsule onto her desk before sitting down.

Once Kankuro had taken his seat, Ibiki stepped forward. "I will now explain."

Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

"This is...A hopeless rule."

**//+//**

"Usaka-san!"

A man narrowed his eyes before looking over his shoulder darkly. "What-Oh! Taji." The man smiled slightly and turned around fully, "I didn't know it was you. What is it?"

Taji smiled weakly and held out a scroll, "It's information on your latest mission; it's from Samuru-sama."

Usaka sighed, red violet eyes tired as he took the scroll from Taji and stuffed it inside many of the pockets that were on his vest. "So...Any news?"

Taji's smile faded as he glanced down at the clipboard he held close to his chest. Multiple notes on an individual were scrawled on there, most in red while a scarce few were in green. He looked up at Usaka, who stared down at him anxiously.

Taji forced a smile, "Yes. Yume-chan is recovering nicely. She's been eating well, and it looks like a few emotions are coming back already."

Usaka stared for a long moment before giving a small smile. "I knew you could do it," he said, ruffling Taji's hair before turning around and walking down the earthen hallway, towards a large marble staircase that was going downwards.

Taji watched as Usaka disappeared before looking down at the clipboard sadly.

**Subject has not shown any progress.**

Subject is beginning to retrogress.

Subject is losing appetite.

Subject is becoming more indifferent by day.

Subject is required to be in a stable environment more frequently.

Taji sighed and pressed the clipboard back against his chest, shielding it from any view. '_...I sure did it..._'

**//+//**

"First, you are all going to choose if you wish to take this tenth problem or not."

Meyu's brow furrowed. '_Choose?_'

Temari gritted her teeth, "Choose? So what happens if we don't take the tenth problem?"

"If you choose not to take it, your points will be reduced to zero," Ibiki explained coolly before looking around the room, giving a smirk. "In other words, you will fail. Your other two teammates will fail along with you."

"What the meaning of that?! Of course we're going to choose to take it!" Someone protested throughout the murmurs of the crowd.

"Teammates also failing is bull!" Another protest that, like the first one, went ignored as Ibiki lowered his head, eyes closed.

"And here is the other rule," he continued. "If you choose to take it and get it wrong, you will..." He looked up, "**Lose the privilege to take the Chuunin Exam forever.**"

"What kind of dumb rule is that?!" Inuzuka Kiba, the one with the small dog, pointed a finger at Ibiki as he stood up. "There should be those here who have taken the Chuunin Exam in the past!" His dog barked with him in agreement.

Ibiki chuckled lowly, "You were unlucky. This year, **I** am the rule. That is why I gave you the option of quitting. Those who are not confident can choose to not take it, and take it the exam next year, or the year after that."

He chuckled again.

Near the left, Azi yawned. '_So...We __**have**__ to get this question right. Uhn...I should apologize to Yume and Koji in advance._'

Ibiki had stopped chuckling, and his face had now returned to its normal, serious expression. "Let us begin. Those who will not be taking this tenth question, raise your hands. After we confirm your numbers, we will have you leave."

For a moment, no one raised their hands.

'_Of course; Mr. Sandman isn't going to raise his._' Meyu thought as she idly watched Gaara's back.

Suddenly, a hand was raised. "I..." The person stood up, "I...I quit! I won't take it!"

Meyu blinked and looked over towards the voice; it was the guy who was sitting next to Uzumaki.

"Number 50, fail. Number 130 and 11, fail along with him."

"I'm sorry...Gennai, Inaho."

Quietly, Number 50's two teammates stood up.

"Me too!" Someone else raised their hand, and then, following suit, a majority of the Genin raised their hands, ashamed.

Meyu sighed as she watched the failed walk exit the room, but she blinked and looked forward when something caught her eye.

Uzumaki Naruto was shaking.

'_Uzumaki? He doesn't seem like a quitter..._' She mused, leaning forward; she was interested to see what the blonde would do.

In front of her, Gaara blinked and glanced over his shoulder; he just noticed that she had been sitting behind him the entire exam.

"Wow," Meyu said quietly, and Gaara frowned before looking forward; it looked like Haruno Sakura was going to raise her hand.

But, she stopped.

It was then that Meyu and Gaara realized that Uzumaki was raising his hand. Meyu sighed in disappointment, "I guess he was all talk..."

**//+//**

"Hn. What are **you** doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing."

"Well, **I'm** here on a **special** mission for Orochimaru-sama," a fifteen-year-old boy boasted as he ran a hand through violet hair. An older man, maybe twenty-two, raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Good for you, then." The teen scowled.

"What's **that** supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. You are too sensitive, **Yukio**."

Yukio huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, red violet eyes narrowed, "Shut up, Usaka. What are **you** here for, anyways?" Usaka chuckled and brushed a few strands of similar violet hair away from also identical red violet eyes; the only difference between the two was that Usaka was more mature in looks and physically fit, while Yukio still had a boyish charm and a leaner figure than the other.

"Just checking up on things."

"Hmph. Well, **I** already checked on **her**. She's fine," Yukio mumbled, still refusing to look at Usaka who sighed.

"Fine."

"**Fine.**"

**//+//**

Suddenly, Naruto slammed his hand back onto his desk and glared up at Ibiki. "Screw you! I'm not going to run away! I'll take this problem! Even if I become a Genin forever, I'm going to become a Hokage no matter what anyway!"

Near the left, Azi smirked. '_Hokage, huh? You set high expectations, Uzumaki..._'

Naruto then stood up, hands placed firmly on the desk. "**I'm not scared!**"

Ibiki stared at him coolly, and everyone else watched as Naruto sat back down, arms crossed over his chest as if nothing had happened.

In his seat, Uchiha Sasuke sighed. '_He wasn't even thinking about us...He has quite a spirit._'

Haruno Sakura smiled gently. '_Yes, you were an idiot._'

Ibiki then turned his attention towards Naruto, "I will ask one more time. This is the choice that will impact your life. If you want to quit, now is the chance."

Naruto smirked, "I'm not going to take back my words. That's '**My Way of the Ninja**'."

Around the room, everyone seemed to be smiling; Naruto's words had given everyone confidence. Or entertainment.

'_Hn. This guy...Sure is something._' Jiko thought with a tiny smirk.

'_Hm. Interesting kid..._' Ibiki mused, '_He wiped out everyone's uncertainty._'

Ibiki then stepped forward, '_ There's more left than I expected. Looks like there's no point in waiting any longer._' He glanced over at the examiners, who were all smiling or giving nods to him. Ibiki nodded in return and turned back to the Genin.

"Nice determination," he complimented, "Then...For the First Exam, everyone here..."

Ibiki then, for the first time, grinned, "**Passes!**"

Jiko frowned, '_Did I miss something?_'

"Wait, what's the meaning of that? We pass already? What about the tenth question?" Haruno Sakura stood up, hands also placed firmly on the desk.

"Who cares? We passed," Meyu called out to her with a grin, leaning back in her seat. Gaara glanced over at her before giving an audible "Pft" and turning away. Ibiki glanced over at Meyu and grinned before looking back to Sakura and laughing.

"There was no such thing to begin with. Or you can call the two-choice question the tenth question."

"What?"

"Hey! So what were those previous nine problems? It was all a waste," Temari protested.

"No, it's not," Ibiki replied, "The nine problems accomplished their purpose." He then looked over at the Genin, "The purpose to test each individuals information gathering skills."

Temari frowned, "Information gathering skills?"

Ibiki began to elaborate, "First, this test's purpose lies in the first rule. Your pass-fail decision is based on your three person teams. By giving that idea, we have given you an unprecedented amount of pressure to try and not be a nuisance to your team."

In the front, Naruto nodded, "Yes, yes, I was kind of sensing that in this test."

Meyu grinned, '_What a moron._'

Beside him, Hyuuga Hinata giggled.

"But these test problems cannot be solved by you Genins. So, most of the people here must have come to the conclusion 'I have to cheat to get points'. In other words, this exam assumed that everyone was going to cheat. So we snuck in two Chuunins who knew the answers to be targets of the cheating."

At this, a few people raised their hands, and Meyu frowned when the boy next to her did. '_I could have just copied off of him instead of having Koji do that jutsu..._'

Suddenly, Naruto laughed loudly, "It was **so** obvious. It would be really weird not to notice it. Right, Hinata?"

A sweat drop rolled down Sasuke's head, '_He didn't notice it..._'

"But those who cheated like a fool failed, of course," He then removed his head protector, which was over his head like a hat, "Why?"

Everyone's jaws dropped.

"Information can have greater value than life at times and in missions and battlefields..."

Not only was Ibiki bald, but disgusting scars covered his head in the shape of veins. Azi cringed, "Ouch."

"Information is contested with the lives of people."

"How awful...Burn marks, screw holes, and cut marks...They're the scars of torture."

"The information that an enemy gets after being noticed by a third person will not necessarily be accurate," Ibiki continued, retying his head protector back onto his head, "Remember this: Getting incorrect information can cause great damage to your teammates and village. So, we made you all gather information in the form of cheating. We kicked out those who were lacking in that field. That's what went on."

"But, I still can't agree to that last question," Temari protested again.

"But this tenth question was the main question of this First Exam." Ibiki stated, and Sakura frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me explain. The tenth question was a 'take or not take' choice. Needless to say, it was a painful two-choice problem," He said, holding up two fingers, "Those who did not take it failed with their teams. If you chose to take it, and could not answer it...Your right to take the exam would have been taken away forever. It was a very insincere problem."

'_Now that you think about it...That is pretty tough..._' Meyu mused thoughtfully.

"How about this two-choice problem," Ibiki continued, walking around the room. "Let's assume that you have become a Chuunin. Your mission is to capture a secret document. The number of enemy ninja, their abilities, and armaments are unknown. And there may be traps that the enemy ninja have set up. Now, will you accept this mission or not?"

Azi frowned, '_This guy..._'

"Just because your life and the lives of your teammates may be in danger, are you able to avoid dangerous missions? The answer is..."

Meyu closed her eyes, '_No._'

"**No.** There are missions that carry heavy risks, but cannot be avoided. The ability to show your courage to your teammates when needed and the ability to get through a bad situation..."

Ibiki turned to look at the Genin, who by now were all listening carefully.

"That is what we look for in a Chuunin, a squad leader. Those who cannot bet their fate in a critical situation..."

Azi leaned forward in his seat.

"Those who give up when given the chance because there is a next year, and let their minds sway over an uncertain future..."

Jiko's brow was furrowed in thought, '_..._'

"Fools who only carry a light determination like that have no right to become a Chuunin. That is what I believe."

'_Uzumaki...Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other if you show this much determination._' Meyu thought quietly to herself, watching Naruto's back.

"I am saying that you here who have chosen to take it gave the right answer for the difficult tenth question. You can deal with the difficulties you will face."

'_This guy must be a pro._' Jiko mused fondly, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You have broken through the entrance. The First Exam of the Chuunin Selection ends now," Ibiki gave a smile, "I wish you luck."

"**All right! Wish us luck!!**" Naruto stood up and began to thrust his fists into the air, "All right! All right! **Yeah, yeah**!"

Suddenly, during Naruto's celebration, something came hurtling through a window, crashing through it.

By instinct, Meyu immediately stood up, hands on the desk firmly, as pieces of shattered glass flew around Ibiki, who remained calm.

Two kunai were thrown, and what seemed to be a ball of dark cloth separated, revealing a young woman who skidded across the ground for a second before stopping.

"What the...?!"

The large black cloth was raised, covering Ibiki, as the woman stood in front of it, "Everyone, there's no time to be happy."

The woman was wearing a long-sleeved, tan coat with a fishnet shirt underneath, an orange type of skirt with fishnet leggings, and ANBU-like boots. Behind her, the large black cloth read: **Second Examiner, Mitarashi Anko is here**

"I am the Second Examiner, Mitarashi Anko. Let's go to the next exam!" Anko pumped her fist up into the air, "Follow me!"

Everyone stared at her openly, not saying anything. Meyu blinked before plopping back down in her seat, '_First we have a torture-pro, now a crazy woman!?_'

Ibiki stepped out from behind the cloth, obviously aggravated, "Grasp the atmosphere." Anko's face turned red before she calmed down and looked around at the Genin.

"81? Ibiki, you let 27 teams pass?" Anko gave Ibiki a stern look, "The First Exam must have been too soft." Ibiki just smirked.

"It looks like there are a lot of excellent students this time."

Anko just chuckled, "Oh, well...I'm going to make more than half of the teams fail in the next exam."

'_Such big words. She reminds me of Uzumaki._' Meyu thought to herself, smirking slightly.

"I'm getting excited," Anko stated slyly, "I will explain the details tomorrow. We will go somewhere else, so ask your Jounin teachers about the rally point and time. That is all. Dismissed."

**//+//**

"Yo, so **now** what do we do?"

"Our Jounin was just a hologram to get us into the Exam...How will we figure out where to go?"

Meyu smirked as she pulled out the red ribbon from her hair, letting it fall down past her shoulders as she stared into a mirror. "No worries; I got it."

Jiko frowned, but sighed and proceeded to unzip his jacket, revealing a sleeveless fishnet shirt. "Fine."

"Uhn, so what are you going to do?" Azi shed off the fingerless black gloves with the metal plate and threw them onto his bed in the room that he and Jiko were staying in; Meyu was staying in the adjoining room, but was in here to discuss plans.

"You'll find out in the morning. Now go to sleep; I'll be back late," Meyu added, making sure that the bandages that went from her shoulders to her wrists were not misplaced. She then pulled down her sleeveless, black shirt with a high, turtle-neck type of collar that was tight to make sure no movement would be restrained. Her shorts were also black, and the bottoms barely covered the metal plate that was strapped onto her left upper thigh. Her other leg was completely covered by bandages, as well as the rest of her left leg that was not covered by shorts or the metal plate.

Sighing, she walked over to the window and opened in, a light breeze coming through. Easily, she jumped onto the windowsill, gave a small wave to both Jiko and Azi, and then jumped out into the night.

**//+//**

"Gaara, what did you think of the First Exam? Pretty easy, huh?"

Gaara remained silent and merely stared out at the sky. It was already dark, but Temari was still up with him out on the balcony, trying to make conversation with her smallest brother.

"Well, **I** thought it was pretty easy. So...What do you think about-"

"Shut up and go to sleep," Gaara interrupted, and Temari frowned.

"But-"

"**Now.**" Temari sighed and nodded, walking back into the room. She looked over her shoulder to give Gaara a desolate look before closing the two glass doors shut behind her, isolating Gaara from the inn like he wanted.

Gaara, at hearing the doors close, closed his eyes. Temari had always acted strange like this, trying to make him feel comfortable, but today she was just overdoing it. Under normal circumstances, he would have just continued to ignore her, but today she just wouldn't let up on him.

It was annoying.

"Sleeping, Mr. Sandman?"

Gaara's eyes shot open and he glanced to his left. Sure enough, Meyu was squatting on the railing of the balcony, smiling at him.

"...What do you want?" He already felt his head begin to ache, but he ignored it and stared at Meyu, who tilted her head.

"I can't come and say 'hi'?"

"No."

"Well, good, because that's not why I'm here anyway," Meyu replied smoothly, moving her legs from underneath her. Gaara immediately stepped back, and sand instinctively flowed from his gourd. However, Meyu merely moved her legs so that she could sit on the railing properly, "We're finishing that later, remember?"

Gaara frowned, but the sand retreated back into his gourd and he cautiously leaned back against the railing, staring out at the sky rather then at Meyu.

"What is it, then?" Meyu smiled.

"I need the information for tomorrow's exam."

"Don't you have a Jounin-sensei?"

"He's an idiot. So, information, please?" Meyu added, stretching herself so that she was leaning in front of Gaara, obscuring his vision of the sky. He narrowed his eyes at her, not liking how close she was.

"...Training Area 44...Noon," He mumbled, taking a few steps back from the railing, increasing the distance between them. Meyu smiled and jumped off of the railing and onto the balcony, leaning her back against it.

"Thanks."

"...Aren't you going to leave now?"

"Why? I told my teammates I wouldn't be back until late." Gaara looked away; she was really persistent.

"I have to sleep."

"I thought you don't sleep because of the demon inside you?" He scowled; why had he told her that?

"...Don't you need to sleep?"

"No." He blinked.

"Why?"

"My chakra will continue to build up inside of me, and if I can't release it in time, I'll probably die," Meyu explained calmly, almost as if she was bored with the topic.

Gaara frowned, "Die?"

Meyu nodded and idly began to trace circles on the balcony floor with the toe of her right foot, "If too much chakra is inside your body, it can plug up your chakra holes. The energy won't know how to get out, and _boom!_" She looked up at Gaara with a grin, "I'm dead."

"...You make it sound like you don't care if you die or not," Gaara replied coolly, and Meyu shrugged.

"Guess I don't. Unless I'm on a mission, of course," She added cheerfully. He just stared.

Meyu looked over her shoulder, and looked up at the moon; it was almost midnight. She looked back over at Gaara and smiled before jumping back onto the railing, "See you tomorrow at noon, then."

She then jumped off, and Gaara walked over to the railing and looked down; she had disappeared.

'_...How can she act so happy?'_


	9. Melody

The sun peeked out from the horizon, its rays shining through an open window in the room. Meyu sighed and continued to unwrap the bandages that she had previously kept on her arms and legs; bundles of them were already on the floor, and she was now unraveling the left arm which would be the last.

Her right arm and legs were now uncovered, and her skin was exposed to the crisp morning air. With a content sigh, she finally let the last of the bandages fall to the ground, moving her left arm around in a wide circle; the tight bandages had cut off some circulation.

She had changed her clothes, again, for the last time; she had kept the shorts, but had traded the black shirt for another one. This shirt was also black, but much shorter; it stopped two inches above her navel, exposing her lean stomach. The shirt was sleeveless, like the last one, but the collar was normal and rounded.

The only real difference was the white 'X' in the left-hand corner of the shirt.

"Yo, are you decent?

"Yeah," Meyu replied as she smoothed down her violet hair, which cascaded an inch past her shoulders; she would cut it afterwards. The adjoining door's doorknob jiggled before it opened, revealing Azi, who had also changed his attire.

He wore a simple fishnet shirt over his torso that had long sleeves, unlike his other one which had short. His legs were covered in black running pants; unlike the white shirts he had worn before.

His Suna head protector now acted as a type of belt; he had attached the metal part to a longer fabric and had tied it around his waist.

"You sure you want to wear that?" Azi motioned to Meyu's shirt, and she shrugged, pulling it down a little.

"Why not? It's close to the end, right?"

"Not necessarily." The two looked over to the open doorway to see Jiko, who had also changed, if only slightly. He wore a long-sleeved fishnet shirt with his previous jacket thrown over it, open instead of closed. Instead of his normal shorts, he was also wearing running pants. Instead of being black like Azi's, though, they were a dark green to match his jacket.

His Suna head protector remained over his eyes.

"It's only seven...We have time to find a stable environment," Jiko said lowly, glancing out the open window, hands in his jacket pockets. Meyu scowled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"No. I'll be drained for the Second Exam; we can wait a day."

Jiko frowned, but sighed, "...Fine."

"Is anyone else hungry?"

**//+//**

In Konoha, the wind rustled the leaves of various trees that surrounded the current area.

The Genin were in a secluded field, all in front of a large, wire gate. Behind the gates laid a large and exotic forest, with large trees and intertwining branches and such.

"W-What is this place?" Naruto stared at the gate in awe, as well as most of the other Genin. A sign on the gate read "Forbidden Area" in kanji, and some swallowed nervously.

"This place is where the Second Exam will take place," Anko, the examiner for the Second Exam, explained, "The 44th training area." She smirked coyly, "Also known as the Forest of Death."

In the midst of the Genin crowd, Azi sneered, "_Scary_." The rest of the Genin, however, were transfixed by this information.

"The Forest of Death?" Naruto repeated as his eyes widened. Anko grinned.

"You will be able to experience why this place is called the Forest of Death."

Meyu blinked, not at Anko's statement, but rather at what Naruto's response was.

He stuck his rear out, had put his hands on his hips, and began to swing his rear back in forth, "'You will be able to experience why this place is called the Forest of Death'," He mocked, and Meyu gave a sigh; this guy really was a character.

"There's no point in trying to scare us like that!" Naruto exclaimed, after he had stopped embarrassing himself. He then pointed a finger at Anko and grinned, "I'm not scared at all!"

Anko, however, smiled and tilted her head, "Really? You sure are energetic." Then, still smiling, she quickly swiped out a kunai and expertly threw it at Naruto, just cutting his cheek and having the knife land behind a Genin with a wide cone-shaped hat.

She then appeared right behind Naruto, who hadn't had any time to react whatsoever, "Boys like you die the fastest," She commented before touching his face, still smiling, "After spilling out that red blood I love all over the place..."

She then wiped at Naruto's cut, which was bleeding. Then, even quicker than before, she had a new kunai in her hand and moved to block a person behind her.

However, it was just the Genin with the cone hat; the only thing was, his tongue was stretched out of his mouth and was intertwined with the kunai that Anko had first thrown.

'_...Wait._' Meyu narrowed her eyes at the Genin, who explained to Anko that he had only wanted to return her knife, who then thanked him.

"...." Meyu looked back to see that Jiko was frowning deeply; she just smiled.

"Don't worry about it."

"It looks like there are a lot of hot-headed people here today," Anko announced with a sneer, "This is going to be interesting."

'_She's counting herself, right?_' Azi thought weakly; she was eccentric, to say the least.

"Before we begin the Second Exam, I'm going to pass these out to everyone," Anko then announced, as if nothing had happened, before pulling out a stack of papers from the inside of her jacket.

Confusion commenced throughout the Genin group.

"These are consent forms," Anko explained, "Those taking this exam must sign these."

"Why?" Of course, Naruto was asking the question. Anko smirked.

"From here on, people will die. Therefore we need people's consent to continue," She then laughed, "Otherwise, I'd be held responsible."

No one else seemed to be laughing along with her.

"Now, I will begin the explanation for the Second Exam," Anko continued after her laughing had stopped, "To be concise, you will all go through an extreme survival match." As she was talking, she handed the consent forms to Naruto, who looked at them before passing them on.

"First," Anko said, still not through, as she rolled a scroll down, "I'll explain the training area's geographical features." The scroll seemed to be a map of the area. Meyu lightly nudged Jiko, who nodded and proceeded to make a few hand seals.

"The 44th training area is a circular region surrounded by 44 locked gate entrances. There is a river, a forest, and a tower in the middle. The tower is approximately 10 kilometers away from the gates. Inside this limited space you will have to go through a certain survival program. The program consists of," Anko paused to roll the scroll back up and stuff it back into the inside of her jacket, "A competition where anything goes...Over these scrolls." She then held up two new scrolls in her hand.

"Scrolls?" Someone asked, and Anko nodded, "Yes. The Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth," She elaborated, showing that the white scroll was the Heaven and that the darker one was the Earth. "You will fight over these scrolls."

Jiko bent down and put his hand in the grass; soon pieces of grass formed a square with writing on it and he stuffed it inside the inside of his jacket.

"28 teams in total passed the First Exam. Half of these teams will get the Scroll of Heaven. The other half will get the Scroll of Earth. Each team will get one of these two scrolls," Anko continued, holding up the two scrolls again, "Simply, you have to fight over these."

"...And? What's needed to pass?" Uchiha asked coolly.

"Bring the Scrolls of Heaven and Earth to the tower with your teammates," Anko explained.

"In other words, the 14 teams, or half the people here, that get their scroll stolen will fail," Haruno Sakura restated, just to make sure she had it right.

Anko replied, "But it needs to be done within the time limit."

Immediately, Azi had to lean on Meyu for support, "_Time limit?!_"

In the front, Anko smirked, "Yes, a time limit. This second exam has a limit of 120 hours," She then stuffed the scrolls back into her jacket, "Or exactly five days."

"Five days?!" Yamanaka exclaimed, while her teammate Chouji looked light-headed.

"What about food?!"

"Scrounge it up yourselves. The forest is a treasure box of nature. There should be plenty of food," Anko replied. But, someone intervened.

"However, there are a lot of man-eating beasts, poison bugs, and poisonous plants." It was Kabuto.

At this, Chouji looked positively sick, "Oh no..." Ino frowned and looked at her upset teammate.

"Stupid, that's why it's called survival."

"Also, it is not possible for 14 teams, or 42 people, to pass," Hyuuga Neji commented.

"As time passes, you will be required to move more. So, the time to rest your body will become shorter," Rock Lee stated before smirking, "This seems quite rough."

"...And we're surrounded by enemies," Sasuke also commented, "We won't be able to sleep in peace."

"Then you don't sleep; you don't rest," Meyu said, her voice moderately loud, "You keep moving."

"People will get hurt in the process of fighting over a scroll," Anko pushed on, ignoring the Genin's comments, "and those who cannot bear this program's strictness will emerge, as well."

Suddenly, Nara Shikamaru raised his hand, "Excuse me, can we quit in between?"

'_What a lazy guy._' Azi thought shrewdly, while Anko replied.

"As a rule, you are not allowed to give up during the exam." She grinned, "You will spend the five days in the forest."

Shikamaru frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, "Just as I thought...How troublesome."

"While we're on this topic, here are the conditions that will fail you," Anko announced, who seemed to be getting bored, "First, a team that cannot bring both scrolls to the tower with the three teammates will fail. Second, the team that loses a teammate or produces an unrecoverable teammate will fail. Also, just as a note...You are not allowed to look inside the scrolls until you reach the tower."

"What happens if you look?" Naruto asked curiously and Anko grinned slyly.

"That's a surprise you'll see when you look at it," She then looked back around at the group of Genin, "If you become a Chuunin, you will be handling top secret documents. It's to determine your reliability. That is it for the explanation."

'_Finally._' Meyu thought in relief, pushing Azi off of her; he had fallen asleep during the explanation.

"We will exchange three consent forms for one scroll at that hut," Anko announced, pointing over to a hut where three men were sitting, "And after picking your gate entrance, everyone will begin at the same time." Suddenly, she sighed, "Here's a last piece of advice."

She looked up and announced clearly, "**Don't die.**"

**//+//**

Teams were huddled together in various places, all spread out as they discussed their game plans.

"Wow. These consent forms are to the point," Azi mumbled as he sat against a tree trunk; Jiko was on the left side of the tree while Meyu was on the right, both leaning against it rather than sitting.

"...Where do I sign?" Jiko asked coolly, refusing to take his head protector off to read the form. Meyu sighed and reached over the tree and placed his hand on the right spot. He mumbled thanks before signing.

"I'll be back in a second," Meyu suddenly said, handing her consent form to Azi, who blinked at it before looking up at her.

"Where are you going?"

"No where," She replied, her eyes traveling across the area; she spotted Murabashi Kaya and her team in the far distance. Jiko noticed her stare and frowned.

"Hey…"

"I **know**..." She mumbled before walking off in the opposite direction that Kaya was in. She just wanted to get some air before the Second Exam; it was a five day survival test, after all.

**//+//**

Gaara was standing next to a tree, the branches providing shade from the noon sun. His consent form was held carelessly in his right hand as he scanned it. He had already signed upon receiving it.

"_Nen nen kororiyo okororiyo..._"

Gaara blinked before looking over his shoulder, on the other side of the tree trunk.

"_Boyawa yoikoda nenneshina..._"

He was surprised to see Meyu sitting against the side of tree, obviously not noticing that he was on the other side. She was idly staring up at the sky as she somewhat sang a melody.

"_Boyano komoriwa dokoe it ta, anoyama koete satoe it ta..._"

He idly watched as she looked back down at her legs, touching the fabric of her shorts. He gave a short grunt before looking away; her song was unknown to him.

"It's time to trade your forms for a scroll," One of the men at the hut announced, pulling back part of the red curtain that concealed it so he could be heard. Gaara blinked and glanced back over his shoulder; Meyu had sighed and walked back to her team.

He himself frowned before coolly walking back to Temari and Kankuro, that melody now stuck in his head.

**//+//**

One by one, concealed by a curtain, teams of three traded in their consent forms for either a Heaven or Earth scroll; no one could possibly know which team had which scroll, or which person would be carrying it.

Meyu, Jiko, and Azi worked their way into the hut after Team 28; Murabashi Kaya's team.

Coolly, Jiko handed the man the forms, and he received an Earth scroll in return. Azi looked at before plucking it out of Jiko's hands, "**I'll** hold on to it."

Meyu then stole it from Azi before stuffing it behind the metal plate that was strapped onto her thigh, "Thanks for volunteering, but no."

**//+//**

Anko checked her watch; it was a minute to two. "If you have received a scroll, follow the person in charge and move to your designated gates. We will begin in 30 minutes!"

**//+//**

At Gate 12, Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba waited patiently. "Yeah! Survival is our specialty," Kiba exclaimed, punching at the air in excitement, "Hinata, you better not go easy on anyone."

Hinata blinked before lowering her head slightly, "Okay..."

**//+//**

Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji stood in front of Gate 27. "We have to put our life on the line for this. It's troublesome, but we have to do it," Shikamaru said, arms crossed over his chest, "We'll go after Naruto."

Oblivious, Chouji began to rummage through his bag, "Let's see what snacks I have...Potato chips, cake..."

Ino's eye twitched, "You two..."

**//+//**

"All right! I'm not going to lose," Naruto said, punching at the air in front of Gate 12, "We'll beat those who get near us first!"

**//+//**

The three Sound-nins stood in front of Gate 20. "The chance has finally arrived...to accomplish our task," The boy with the bad posture mumbled, smirking behind the bandages that covered most of his face.

**//+//**

Azi glanced over at Jiko as he stood lazily in front of Gate 10, "Yo, you got it?" Jiko nodded and reached into the inside of his jacket, producing a thin rectangle of grass. On it was an easy-to-read imprint of a map; the same map that was on the scroll Anko had shown everyone, to be exact.

Meyu smirked, "Good."

**//+//**

Temari frowned over at Gaara in front of Gate 6. '_I bet the other teams are, too, but I'm scared of spending five days with him._'

**//+//**

At Gate 41, Rock Lee's eyes burned with fire and determination while Neji and Tenten both smirked.

**//+//**

The man that was at the Suna-nins' gate went up and unlocked it, the lock falling to the ground. However, he stood in front of it, blocking their path; they wouldn't go just yet.

**//+//**

_"Usaka, sing us a song."_

"I'm busy, Yukio; you are seven years old, surely you don't want a bedtime song?"

"Yume wants to hear you sing, too!"

Usaka sighed before looking down at his younger brother and smiling weakly, "All right; go to your room and I'll come tuck you two in." Yukio grinned childishly before sprinting to the room that he and his five-year-old half-sister shared, his bare feet slapping against the earthen ground.

"Yume, Usaka's going to sing for us tonight," He said cheerfully as he crawled into his futon; Yume was already in her own, the covers up to her waist as she sat up.

"Yay! Usaka-Niisan, sing _**Edo Komoriuta**__!" She exclaimed when a fifteen-year-old Usaka entered the room. He gave an even weaker smile that went unnoticed by the two children before doing a few hand seals. Instantly, wires extended from his fingertips and palms to intertwine to make a spacious armchair. Sighing, he sat down in it and motioned the two to come over._

The two eagerly did so, Yukio climbing up on Usaka's right while Yume climbed onto his left. Usaka chuckled and picked Yume up so that she was on his lap and placed a warm arm around Yukio. He cleared his throat before beginning.

_"Nen nen kororiyo okororiyo  
Boyawa yoikoda nenneshina_

Boyano komoriwa dokoe it ta  
Anoyama koete satoe it ta

Sato no miyage ni nani morata  
Denden taikoni sho no fue  
Sho no fue..."

_Usaka blinked and looked down, only to smile gently; Yume and Yukio had fallen asleep, both of their heads snuggled into his chest. Suddenly, a yawn emitted from Usaka's mouth and his eyes dropped before he leaned back into the wire armchair, which was actually much more comfortable than the hard futon he would be sleeping in._

Protectively, he wrapped his left arm around Yume, bringing her closer to his chest; he then wrapped his right arm around Yukio, also bringing him closer. Usaka looked down at the two children's heads before smiling faintly and closing his eyes; soon, the world seemed to melt away.

**//+//**

"We will now begin the Chuunin Selection Second Exam!"

Anko's sudden announcement made Meyu blink rapidly before straightening herself up. The gate in front of them was opened, and the Suna-nin exchanged glances before sprinting.

The Second Exam had officially begun.

**//+//**

"So, who has one?"

"...A Rain team. They seemed to be the weakest; we should go after them." Jiko, Meyu, and Azi were all on a large branch on one of the multiple trees in the forest. They were all squatted in a type of circle, the grass map in the middle of them.

"Not-"

"No, not them. Another team; their gate was around here," Jiko pointed to the northern part of the map, at the thin line that resembled the wire gates. He then pointed to the western side, "This is where our gate was. We should eventually cross paths with them if they continue to travel south and us east."

Unknown to the three Suna-nin, the three Rain-nins that they were planning on attacking had already been defeated.

**//+//**

"Gaara?"

"...What?"

"What are you humming?"

Gaara glared over at Kankuro, but continued to speed through the tree branches swiftly. Kankuro's face paled before looking forward, "Sorry..."

Temari glanced over at her two brothers before sighing; some family this was...


	10. Quick

Outside of the wire gates that surrounded the Forest of Death, Anko smirked at the sound of human screams.

"Sounds like it started..."

**//+//**

_"...Is she our sister?"_

"Usaka! I told you to go to bed!"

"What are you doing...? Why is Kazekage-sama here?"

The Kazekage looked over at the man with narrowed eyes, "I thought we were alone."

"My apologies; Usaka, go! _**Now**__!" Usaka backed away at the tone of the man's voice, but blinked rapidly before sprinting away into a secluded room, where muffled cries could be heard._

Sighing, the man turned back to the Kazekage, cradling the infant in his arms, "I apologize. Here she is, the female Okino, for your service." The man then knelt down and lifted the infant above his head towards the Kazekage. Looking down at the sleeping girl, the Kazekage motioned towards it, and one of the Suna-nin standing guard took it into his own arms.

"Your deed is worthy of praise, Okino Doku."

**//+//**

It was already a few minutes into the Second Exam, and the impatient Suna-nin had still not encountered the Rain team.

"Damn, what could have happened?" Azi swore as rubbed his hands together quickly, blue chakra seeping out. Meyu sighed and touched her forehead with her index and middle finger.

"We need to set up traps...Obviously, the Rain-nin have been defeated if we haven't met them yet."

"Wait." Blinking, Azi and Meyu glanced over at Jiko, who was facing the opposite direction, hand at his kunai pouch.

"I believe we have company."

**//+//**

_An infant was crying, the heat of the nearby candles too much. A seal of blood was drawn over her navel, and a hand reached out to touch it. A finger was placed on the center of the seal, and slowly, the seal began to travel towards the navel, the infant's cries growing louder._

The hand suddenly retracted as a kunai whizzed by, almost hitting the infant itself. "Seize him!"

Quickly, a boy jumped onto the table where the infant was placed. Carefully, he scooped her up, holding her close to his chest, before turning towards the ten Suna-nin that were surrounding him. He swallowed nervously before darting towards them, keeping his head over the infant's body as he expertly weaved in and out of the older men's bodies.

"He has the child! _**Stop him**__!"_

He ran through a dimly lit hallway before looking around anxiously and darting to the left at a fork. As he ran past multiple doors, he felt the infant against him begin to squirm. He looked down at the baby girl and smiled weakly, "Sh. It's okay."

"There he is!"

Suddenly, he felt crisp air against his skin. Looking up from the infant, he found that he was outside, running on the rooftop. He looked back over his shoulder just in time to duck a kunai that had been thrown at him.

"Hold on!" He exclaimed, now grinning as he reached the end of the roof. Speeding up, he jumped off of the roof, soaring into the air as he twisted his body around so that he was falling with his back towards the ground. He looked up in time to see the Suna-nin looking down from the roof, not able to see him through the darkness that the night provided.

Then, as the air rushed up behind him and the infant, he closed his eyes in concentration. Slowly, wires produced from his back and wrapped themselves around the two into a type of cocoon.

When the cocoon landed on the ground, the wires unraveled themselves to reveal that the two had disappeared.

**//+//**

"Well, well, if it isn't a bunch of kids."

Jiko scowled, "False alarm; just a couple of old guys." Meyu and Azi both sighed and put their kunai knives back into their pouches, while the three Grass-nins that had appeared boiled.

"_What?!_ Old?! We'll show you _old_!" The leader looked the oldest as he wildly pointed a finger at Jiko, who shrugged.

"I don't fight the elderly."

"You little-_Hone suraisu no jutsu!_"

The ground underneath Jiko began to tremble, and he glanced down at it idly. With surprise, he jumped back when a bony hand protruded from the ground, reaching for his ankle. "What the-"

"Is that a skeleton?" Azi mused as the ground gave away, and a boney figure crawled out from the dirt. Meyu sighed.

"The skeleton only makes us think that you're older," She mumbled, but her comment went ignored as two other skeletons emerged from the ground, stalking towards the Suna-nin.

"Heh, try killing the already dead!" The Grass-nin leader exclaimed smugly while taking out a kunai. "There's no way you can-"

The leader was cut off by Azi, who had sprinted forward and pushed his right fist deep into the older man's gut. The man gasped, the punch powerful from the help of chakra, and he staggered forward when Azi removed his fist.

"Chuuko!" The other Grass-nin, an older guy with his entire head despite the eyes wrapped in a dark cloth, growled over at Azi, who was wiping his hands off on his pants. "You stupid kid!"

Meanwhile, Meyu was fluidly dodging a clumsy skeleton. The skeleton made a swipe at her head, which allowed Meyu to slip down to the ground before sliding between the leg bones of the skeleton, the wires producing from her fingertips slicing away at them while doing so.

Jiko was bent over backwards, facing the third Grass-nin and a skeleton. Effortlessly, he twisted his body into a back flip, easily landing onto of the skeleton that was next to the Grass-nin. The Grass-nin, caught off guard, made no move to block the swift kick that came from Jiko's right leg from the side.

"_Sensoujuu Haretsu no jutsu!_" Meyu smirked as she slammed her hand, palm forward, into the ribcage of the skeleton. Wires from her fingertips then shot out into the ribcage, and as they lodged themselves into the bone, they exploded just as Meyu jumped back.

The skeleton had exploded along with the points of wires.

**//+//**

_"Come on Yukio; we're going on a little adventure."_

A two-year-old boy looked up at a nine-year-old with big eyes. "Huh?"

"We're playing 'Suna-nin'. We have to be quiet so we can sneak out of prison, okay?" The older one whispered, holding a hand out to the younger one. The young one blinked before smiling and taking the other's hand.

"Okay. Is she playing, too?" The young one whispered, pointing to the infant that was in a small woven basket that the older one had tied to his back. The older one smiled.

"Yep. Now, let's go to our underground base so we can report to Kazekage-sama, okay?"

"Okay!"

**//+//**

"_Kobushi Senshi no jutsu!_" Azi's fingertips, engulfed by chakra, easily pierced through the second Grass-nin's armor before puncturing his chest. Azi smirked as he worked his hand out of the inch of flesh before gently pushing the Grass-nin over, who was paralyzed in either shock or pain.

Jiko bent his torso backwards, dodging a kunai from the third Grass-nin, before placing his hands behind him. At his contact, the earth underneath the third Grass-nin rose in a U-shape before closing to form an 'O', trapping the shinobi inside. Satisfied, Jiko straightened himself out and dusted his hands off on his jacket, ignoring the third Grass-nin's mercy calls as he walked leisurely over to Azi.

"Where's the scroll?" Over at the leader Grass-nin, Meyu was standing with her arms crossed and her foot on the older man's head.

"I'll _never_-" The man was interrupted when Meyu raised her foot, wire protruding from the soles of her sandals. The man stared at them with wide eyes, unable to move because of the wires that chained him to the earth.

"Where would you like them? On the face, maybe?" Meyu's tone was sweet as she moved her foot closer to the man's face, and he squirmed against the wires.

"Do whatever you please to me; I'll never tell!" He continued, refusing even as the wires reached an inch away from his skin. Thankfully, however, Meyu had stopped and let her foot linger there for the time being.

Meyu sighed and glanced over at Azi, who nodded and bent down to the second Grass-nin, who was still paralyzed. Idly, Azi lifted the man up by the collar of his shirt, and walked over to Meyu, dragging the man over with him.

The leader's, Chuuko's, eyes widened when he saw his comrade in the hand of the enemy. "Ky!"

"The scroll, please," Meyu asked politely, letting a wire protrude from her right index finger as she walked over to the second Grass-nin, holding the metal to his neck. Ky coughed, "Chuuko, don't-"

"Oops." Meyu had sliced a path of skin that was on Ky's neck, causing him to cough harshly. Chuuko flinched and closed his eyes as his jaw clenched.

"...If I tell you...Will you spare us?"

Meyu smiled and took the wire away from Ky's neck, "We'll see." Chuuko looked away, but sighed.

"...It's in Dai's pouch." Meyu smirked and nodded to Azi, who let go of Ky, who fell forward without the support. He struggled to get up, but Azi merely kicked the back of his neck, causing him to gasp and sink back down to the ground.

"Koji, it's in yours," Meyu called out to Jiko, who nodded and put a hand on the earth sphere, allowing an opening to form and for a gasping Grass-nin to tumble out; the sphere had been vacuum-sealed.

"Be still," Jiko ordered calmly, placing a firm foot on the fallen Grass-nin's, Dai's, back. Dai obeyed, and allowed Jiko to rummage through the pouch on his back before producing a scroll. Jiko gave a tiny smirk at the scroll before bending down in front of Dai, placing two fingers on the back of the older one's neck.

"_Shinkei Tou._" Dai's eyes drooped before his head fell to the ground, asleep.

**//+//**

_"Yay! We made it to the base!"_

A nine-year-old Usaka looked around the underground cave; he could carve out more rooms, make furniture with the Sensoujuu, and he could easily sneak out and get food.

They would never have to face the world's cruelty again.

"Usaka-Niisan, is she a doll?" Usaka blinked before smiling and setting the woven basket down on the earthen ground, letting Yukio peek inside.

Inside was an infant, fast asleep, and draped in a purple cloth.

"No, Yukio, she's our sister."

"...Sister? What's her name?"

Usaka blinked; he knew of no name.

Still, he smiled and lifted the infant out of the basket and into his arms before sitting against one of the cave's walls, Yukio crawling next to him. Usaka stared down at the face of the infant. He could understand why Yukio thought she was a doll; her face seemed so serene, a ceramic doll it's only comparison.

"Usaka-Niisan?"

"Hm?"

"What's her name?"

"Oh." He had forgotten. "Her name is..."

'_**I want to get as far away from this place as possible...That's my dream; to get us far, far away.**__' He blinked before smiling. '__**Dream...**__'_

"Her name is Yume. Okino Yume."

**//+//**

"H-Hey! Let us out!"

Meyu smiled at the Grass-nin, who were now cradled in a large, wire ball that hung from a sturdy tree branch. "Be happy; this will keep you safe from others."

"_Liar!_"

"_Arigato!_" The Grass-nin blinked before scowling when they realized that the Suna-nin had already begun walking away.

"Yume, here," Jiko said, tossing the scroll over to her. She caught it with her right hand before examining it with a grin; it was a Heaven Scroll, all right.

"Half an hour. Not bad," Azi commented, stretching his arms over his head. Meyu smiled before stuffing the Heaven Scroll next to the Earth behind her metal plate.

"It'll take another 30 minutes to get to the tower, maybe an hour if we are confronted," She said, glancing over at Azi who scowled.

"Uhn. This forest is too green for my taste; let's hurry."

"This way." Azi and Meyu blinked before looking over to the left, where Jiko was holding back thin tree branch, revealing a pathway that seemed to be recently walked upon.

Meyu frowned before walking over and kneeling, placing her hand on the flattened grass. She smirked, however, when she brought her hand back up to see a few grains of sand sticking onto her skin.

"Looks like someone else is going to be there first."

Azi grinned as he walked past the two, hands behind his head as he walked at a leisurely pace, "He's just a side mission."

Meyu's face remained impassive, but she did cross her arms over her chest before lowering her head slightly.

Her sign of guilt.

**//+//**

Taji eyed the vial with a sharp eye, shaking it gingerly as he held it up to the florescent light of the room. Desks were scattered about, with multiple vials and graduated cylinders full of various chemicals and liquids.

The one he was working at, unlike the others, was untidy and covered in various stains of multiple colors.

Taji frowned at the vial he was holding before setting it back down in its case, marking something down on the clipboard that was off to the side.

'_Happiness...Negative._

Depression...Positive.

Fear...Negative.'

He plucked another vial out of the wooden casing; the liquid inside was clear.

Humming, he picked up a tiny eye-dropper, allowing two drops of a light green liquid into the vial. He shook the vial, and in a few moments, the liquid inside the vial turned a navy blue.

He sighed and emptied the contents in a basin next to the desk before marking something else on the clipboard.

'_She's retrogressing quickly. This isn't good._'

**//+//**

Meyu put a hand to her forehead, eyes glazed over as she stumbled slightly.

"Hey!" Azi quickly wrapped his arms around her waist when she started to fall forward. Confused, he glanced over at Jiko, who sighed.

"It's inevitable; she needs a stable environment." He stated, and Azi frowned.

"But she just used a bunch of chakra during that fight."

"...It seems that her chakra was restored and is growing at a faster rate; something is wrong," Jiko added with a furrowed brow, crossing his arms over his chest.

"_Please_, I'm fine," Meyu protested, pushing away from Azi's hold. Jiko and Azi shared a glance and a frown.

"Yume, remember what Taji said," Azi warned lightly. At this, Meyu looked at him in faint surprise.

"I would expect that from Koji, but you too, Zai?"

"Hey-"

"Pick up the pace, gentlemen," Meyu stated coolly, continuing to walk. Azi cringed and looked over at Jiko, who shook his head slightly.

"Wait until we reach the tower..."

Azi sighed before stretching his arms above his head, "You're so mean to us." He hoped she noticed the teasing edge in his tone.

Thankfully, she did, "You should be used to it by now."

Azi grinned before following her, Jiko walking at his side. Both decided to put off confronting Meyu about the problem until they reached the destination; it was easier this way.

**//+//**

"Hey, kid. You should be more careful in picking your opponents."

There was a large clearing in the woods, and six people stood there. Three were young, and three were old.

"You are all going to die." An older man with a scar over his right eye sneered, confident.

"Cut the chatter. Let's fight, old man from the Hidden Village of Rain." Gaara stated lowly, arms crossed over his chest as Temari and Kankuro stood behind him.

The man that had been insulted narrowed his eyes and scowled.

"Hey, Gaara! Shouldn't we follow them and gather some information before we pick a fight?" Kankuro inquired. "If they have the same scroll as us, there's no need for us to fight. Unnecessary fights are-"

"It doesn't matter." Gaara had cut Kankuro off, his tone firm.

"I'll kill everyone we encounter."

**//+//**

Meyu, Azi, and Jiko jumped from branch to branch, zigzagging through the canopy of the forest. Meyu was in the front, while Jiko and Azi both stayed back a yard or so.

"Stop." Meyu suddenly said, stopping on a branch and spreading her arms out to keep the two from going past her. Azi raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?"

"People," Jiko mumbled, a hand against the wide tree trunk. "We should go around and avoid them."

"...Okay." Azi blinked in surprise at Meyu's agreement, but nonetheless followed as she jumped to the left, not noticing the large imprint of her sandal that she had left behind on the trunk.

Jiko, however, noticed, and brushed a hand against it. He frowned; more chakra was beginning to leak out.

**//+//**

Kankuro smirked at the scroll now in his hand, "It's the Scroll of Heaven. How convenient." He then turned to Gaara, who was looking to his left, "Okay, head for the tower now."

"Shut up." Gaara turned his head, eyes set in a sadistic feature as he stared at a bush off to the side, "I still haven't had enough."

Kankuro smirked, but tried to reason, "Let's stop, Gaara."

Gaara blinked before narrowing his eyes over at Kankuro, "Are you afraid, coward?"

Kankuro scowled before stalking over to his younger brother, "Gaara! You might be okay...But it's too dangerous for us! We just need one set of scrolls!" Kankuro exclaimed as he stopped in front of the younger brother.

Gaara raised his right arm up, palm facing the right, "You slacker. Don't order _me_ around."

At this, Kankuro's last button had been pushed. Forcefully, he grabbed the leather sash that was around Gaara's chest and lifted him up a small inch, "Cut it out! Why don't you listen to what your older brother says once in a while!"

"I have never thought of you two as siblings," Gaara replied calmly, "If you get in my way, I'll kill you."

There was a stretched out moment where the two stared at each other, trying to make the other look away in defeat. However, Gaara broke this as he smacked Kankuro's hand away before raising his right arm again.

"Gaara, stop. Don't be so cold," Temari said gently, raising her hands in defense as she tried to make the tension ease away, "This is your big sister asking you. Okay?"

Kankuro frowned at Temari's choice of words, but then tensed when Gaara faced his palm at him before once again turning it towards the bush.

Gradually, sand began swirling around his hand, and his fingers were beginning to close into a fist.

"**Mr. Sandman!**"

Gaara's fist closed, but nothing happened as he coolly looked over to his right, the cork in his fist.

Meyu was sitting on a tree branch, one leg daintily crossed over the other and her arms by her sides, hands poised on the branch to keep her balance.

Gaara's eyes narrowed, and his hold on the cork tightened, "...Fine." Calmly, he then eased the cork into the top of his gourd, staring up at Meyu the entire time. Had she been watching without his knowledge?

"Hey, remember when I said that we would finish during the exam?" Meyu suddenly called out to him. He let his arm fall back down to his side. "Right now would be an opportune moment."

"...I'll kill you later." Was all Gaara mumbled before turning around and walking off. Meyu grinned and watched his back, raising a hand to rest on the tree trunk.

"I'll take you up on that offer, Mr. Sandman."

Down on the ground, Kankuro still seemed tense while Temari gave a relieved sigh. They both glanced at each other before reluctantly following after Gaara, who had slunk back off into the woods.

Once the three were gone, Meyu smiled and looked down, where multiple bushes were. "You three should know better than to watch Mr. Sandman fight."

"Who are you supposed to be?" Inuzuka Kiba asked roughly, still shaken up from his almost-death. Apparently, so was his dog for it remained buried in his coat.

Instead of a reply, Meyu just smirked as a thick wire slid out from the palm of the hand that was resting on the tree trunk. In one swift motion of her arm, she had cut through the width of the trunk, it still remaining where it was.

All she did after was touch it with her index finger, and the top of the trunk came crashing down slowly on the opposite side that the three Leaf-nins were on.

Hyuuga Hinata was trembling as she looked up at Meyu, her eyes widened in fear. Meyu smiled and tilted her head, the wire slowly sliding back into her skin, "_Butsu kehai_." She then hopped down from the branch, landing in front of three. "I'm not here to fight."

"How do you know that we aren't planning on attacking you...?" Aburame Shino questioned slyly, the reflection of the evening-sun playing against his sunglasses. Meyu smirked.

"I don't. If you do, however, I'll have to kill you," She added with a laugh, causing Kiba to pale while Hinata took a tentative step backwards.

"Yume!" Meyu frowned and glanced over her shoulder. She swore lightly before looking back at the three with a small smile.

"I like you guys already. So don't die!" She chimed before jumping back up in the trees, just in time for two boys to land where she had once stood.

"Damnit! She always has to stray from the task at hand!" Azi cursed loudly, not noticing the Leaf-nins who were staring at him and Jiko openly.

"...At least she's using up her chakra," Jiko said lowly, looking over at the fallen tree trunk. Azi glanced over and snorted.

"Barely. She uses more in trying to get away from us than that. Come on; she won't be able to get into the tower without us." Azi added before jumping back into the trees. Jiko, however, looked directly at the three Leaf-nins, who all slightly recoiled when they saw that a Suna head protector covered his eyes.

"Sorry about her; she likes to show off." Jiko apologized quietly before also jumping into the trees, leaving Hinata, Shino, and Kiba to themselves.

For a long moment, no one said anything.

"...There are too many freaks in this Exam..." Kiba mumbled under his breath while Akamaru barked in agreement.

**//+//**

_"Usaka-Niisan? Where are you going?"_

"Yukio, go to sleep."

"I want to come, too!"

"You can't...You have to take care of Yume."

A six-year-old Yume peeked from around the corner of her room, watching as her eight and fifteen-year-old half-brothers argued.

"Why? Where are you going? You're not going with Orochimaru-sama, are you?"

Usaka sighed before ruffling Yukio's hair, "No, a different man: Samuru-sama. I'll be back; I just...I just need to straighten our lives out."

"But, Usaka-Niisan, we're happy, even without a mom and dad!" Usaka looked up and his face softened when Yume walked into the room, holding a limp, stuffed Dalmatian dog in her right hand. "Our lives are straight!"

"Yume...Yukio...Please, just be strong for a little while; I promise I'll be back." Usaka reassured before reaching into his backpack, pulling a small leather sack out. He dropped it into Yukio's hands, smiling. "This is food money; it should last for a couple months. I'll be back by then, okay?"

Yukio face was crestfallen as he stared at the small sack of money. Yume, however, smiled and threw her arms around Usaka's middle, embracing him and her stuffed dog tightly. "Okay. I'll take care of Yukio-kun."

Usaka chuckled before pulling away from her embrace and looking back down at Yukio, who peeked up at the older brother through long, light-purple bangs. "...Promise you'll come back?"

The older brother smiled before adjusting the bag on his back, "I promise."


	11. Conversations

The tower was seemingly empty, which was no surprise, seeing that only the first three hours had gone by.

"Man, it's already been an hour. How long do we have to wait?" Azi questioned, leaning against a wall in an empty room. Jiko shrugged from his spot next to him.

"Four days."

Azi scowled, but sighed and relaxed his shoulders, "So...Four days is long enough for Yume, right?"

Jiko turned his head towards the small, earthen sphere that was on the ground a couple yards in front of them. He nodded, "It should be."

"What about interruptions?"

"I did a Genjutsu over both exit doors; no one will remember that this room existed." Azi nodded before glancing over at the sphere.

It had taken a lot of energy to force her inside.

_"Touch me and die."_

"Yume, you're not acting normally-"

Jiko was cut off by a short wave of wires crashing down on him. Azi scowled before diving, trying to wrap his arms around Meyu's waist.

He only succeeded in diving into a wall of wires; they weren't sharp, however, and he sprung backwards.

"I'm not doing it again. I already did it this week."

"I know it hurts-"

"No you don't! _**Just back off**__."_

Azi's face fell, "Hey, we care about you. We're just trying to-"

Meyu's eyes flashed, and in a short instant, wires shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around Azi's midsection. "Don't."

"You can't keep avoiding this!" Azi scolded, brow furrowed in determination as he glanced around the room anxiously; thankfully, almost no one had entered the tower yet.

"Watch me." Meyu said slyly, however, as soon as she said this, her eyes widened and she stumbled forward. Idly, Jiko caught her in one arm around her waist; she had been caught off-guard.

"It's becoming harder." He said lowly, and Azi nodded grimly as the wires slowly slithered back down to the ground, releasing him.

"Taji was right; she's growing worse."

Azi gave the sphere a hard stare; he hated this.

"I hate this." Azi voiced his thoughts darkly, and Jiko side-glanced over at him.

"...We all do, but, we can't avoid it." Jiko replied grimly, and Azi gave a short puff of hot air.

"He messed her up so much."

"I know."

"It **pisses me off**."

Jiko listened as Azi slammed his fist into the wall he had been leaning on, and he sighed. "...I know."

**//+//**

It was dark; that was the only way she would and could ever describe this place.

She let out a whimper against her will, but immediately hissed afterwards; her insides were beginning to burn.

'_Damn..._'

She hissed again and clenched at the earthen ground, her back arching in pain as wires slowly began to protrude from her spine. She hated this; she hated how in this damned place, she was so vulnerable.

She hated how easily she was hurt in here, how easily she broke.

She gave a weak cry when the wires suddenly stopped growing, resulting in a numbing pain across her entire back. Panting now, she winced when red chakra began to leak out of her body, swirling around in the darkness before attracting to the metal wires.

She sighed in contentment; the burning sensation was now gone. However, it was now replaced with a stinging pain as the chakra began to gather to the wires, tearing away from her body.

This was the only time that this ever hurt; this place was the only area that made her Sensoujuu physically unbearable, physically painful.

And it was growing worse.

**//+//**

A door flickered before coming back into view. He glanced at it, seemingly uninterested. Apparently, he was, because he quietly walked up to the door and slid it open, blinking at the scene before him.

A large earthen sphere was sitting in the middle of the room, and two boys were sitting against a wall, both asleep.

"Gaara? What is it?" Gaara looked over his shoulder with a frown; he had thought he had lost her.

"Gaara?" Temari questioned, head tilted in slight worry when he didn't respond. He just walked into the room slowly, and she sighed before following, Kankuro prodding along behind both.

"Eleven hours...How much more are we going to have to wait?" Kankuro complained bitterly, and Temari looked back at him with a scowl, but remained quiet.

The two weren't paying attention as Gaara walked up to the sphere, staring at it blankly.

It was glowing.

His brow furrowed, and he reached out to touch it with his hand. Just before his fingertips could make contact with the hardened dirt, however, sand instinctively surrounded it, shielding his hand from a kunai.

"Yo, what the hell are you doing?" Gaara narrowed his eyes as he coolly looked over his shoulder, only to see that the boys had awakened from their nap.

He then recognized them as Azi and Jiko; those pathetic teammates of hers.

"Whatever I please," Gaara replied coolly, turning around to face the two while Temari and Kankuro sighed; this was getting tiring.

"Gaara, let's just go; who cares about them?" Kankuro added, waving a nonchalant hand towards Azi and Jiko. Temari nodded in agreement.

"Come on, Gaara, let's just leave. For me, okay?"

"Yes, leave. Meyu clearly stated that she wants to finish what she has started, so leave us be until then," Jiko stated calmly, his mouth a thin line while his eyes remained concealed from the world. Gaara, however, stayed silent as he looked over at the sphere again.

"...She's in pain." He stated calmly, looking back over at the two boys, particularly at Azi, who looked extremely frustrated.

"Don't you think we already know that?" Azi's light blue hair fell over his left eye as he said this, grinding his back teeth. Gaara remained impassive.

"Why?" Azi blinked at Gaara's understatement. Jiko, however, sighed; apparently, he understood what Gaara was asking.

"She told you, then?"

Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances before Temari called out, "Told you what? When did you speak with her, Gaara?"

"Tell me." Gaara stated forcefully, ignoring Temari's call. Jiko frowned before shaking his head.

"Please leave; the examiners will begin searching the tower for participants. We don't want any trouble." He added, and Gaara stared at him for a long moment before turning and walking away. He walked past Kankuro and Temari, and out the door, silently sliding it shut behind him.

"...What happened?" Kankuro asked, blinking as he stared at the closed door. Temari sighed.

"Come on, we have to keep an eye on him." She stated before walking towards the door.

"Wait." Blinking, Temari looked over her shoulder to see Azi looking down at the floor. Jiko was glancing at him oddly along with Kankuro; what did he want?

"What?" Temari questioned impatiently; they shouldn't let Gaara wander by himself.

"**...Tell Gaara to keep away from Meyu.**"

Temari blinked at Azi's request, as did Kankuro.

"You idiot..." Jiko mumbled, but Azi just remained staring at the floor. Temari sighed, but Kankuro chuckled before giving a shrugging motion with his arms.

"Please, like Gaara would listen to someone giving him orders. Listen, kid, **we** don't control him," He drawled, "No one controls him. He'll do whatever the hell he wants whenever he wants."

Temari frowned before sliding the door open, "I'll tell him that." Her tone was soft, and Kankuro stared at her with surprise.

"Temari?"

"Come, Kankuro; Gaara's wandering around by himself." Was all Temari said before exiting the room. Kankuro scowled before following.

The room was then silent.

Jiko was staring at Azi's back, frowning, "...She's going to kill you when she finds out."

Azi just shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants, "He's making her lose her edge."

"You're too protective of her."

"No I'm not."

Jiko sighed before leaning back against the wall, "She won't like having a babysitter."

Azi looked over at him, "I'm not a babysitter."

Jiko shifted against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, "I just hope you care for her in the same way as I; like a sister, correct?"

"..."

Jiko frowned deeply at Azi's silence, not pleased at all, "Zai...She can't return your feelings."

Azi scowled before turning to Jiko, light blue eyes flashing, "Stop saying that! Taji and Okino-san are working on a cure."

"How long have they been working on one?" Jiko questioned, and Azi opened and closed his mouth before averting his gaze to the floor, knowing his teammate was right.

"...I hate this..."

"I know...We all do..."

**//+//**

Gaara reopened his eyes, the conversation having stopped. '_A cure...?_'

Silently, he walked away from the paper-thin door, sandals slapping against the floors.

He had heard everything and more.

**//+//**

"I'm not sure if this will help, but I heard that it can help in heart problems, so..."

Taji smiled when Usaka set down a bag full of the same type of plant on the table. "Maybe I could mix it with some chemicals. Thank you."

Usaka just nodded before glancing over at the clipboard that was lying on the table. Before he could get a good look at it, however, Taji had snatched it away, holding it close to his chest. Usaka raised an eyebrow at him, but shrugged it off. "Okay, what can I do?"

"Um, you can start chopping the roots of the plants up. Over there," Taji added, motioning over to the opposite side of the room where a few sterilized cutting objects were placed. Usaka looked over at him oddly before sauntering over to the area, carrying the bag with him.

Taji sighed in relief once he was gone before peeking down at the clipboard.

Red stared back at him, and he sighed; this was not good.

**//+//**

Two days had slowly crawled by as Azi and Jiko remained in the room, making sure no newcomers interrupted.

More shinobi were starting to file into the tower, even if it was only a small amount, and both were now constantly on their guard. Neither wanted another confrontation like Gaara's.

"She's almost ready." Jiko stated calmly, tearing through the deafening silence of the room. Azi blinked before glancing over at the sphere; it was now glowing red.

Both readied themselves for the scream, but surprisingly, it never came. Wires still penetrated the shell of the sphere and curled, but there was no noise.

Azi blinked in confusion, but sprinted over to the sphere when a large square was being cut out; at least that was still the same.

"You okay?"

Another surprise: when she had pushed back the slab of earth, she didn't stumble. She didn't falter, nor did her knees grow weak. She seemed to be surprised as well, for she blinked and looked down at herself, examining her body.

"...Yeah." Meyu finally replied, stepping down from the sphere. Jiko looked over at the two, his mouth set into a grim line. Something wasn't right...

Quietly, Jiko walked over to them and carefully grabbed Meyu's right wrist, holding her hand palm up. She stared at him with a raised eyebrow as he traced his fingers across her palm.

Immediately, he dropped her wrist and took a step back, "The burn..."

"What? What are you..." Azi's voice trailed off as he looked at Meyu's hand. He looked up at her with widened eyes, and she blinked.

"What?" She questioned before looking down at her hand. Immediately, her eyes widened as well.

The burn that she had received from Murabashi Kaya had changed its form. Now, in burnt skin, it depicted a skull and cross bone, the eye sockets staring up at her wickedly.

"...Meyu? Is that you?"

All three almost jumped before looking over at the door, where a girl stood with her head tilted. Pale green eyes stared questioningly at them, and Meyu immediately grabbed her head, wincing.

_"You're just an experiment for her; you two are connected."_

"I know there's a connection...I promise, I'll find it."

Suddenly, she sprinted, pushing past the girl and out into the hallway, looking around anxiously before running to the left, eyes squeezed shut.

"Meyu!" Azi called out before growling and running after her, Jiko following.

In the doorway, Murabashi Kaya stood, puzzled as she watched the three Suna-nin run. All of a sudden, she felt her hand tingle, and she flinched before bringing the bandaged hand up to her face.

It was beginning to burn.

**//+//**

_"He promised...He promised..."_

"Yukio-kun...? What are you doing?"

A nine-year-old Yukio looked down at the seven-year-old. "Go to sleep, Yume-chan."

"...Are those dirty? I'll wash them," Yume said, motioning to the clothes that Yukio was stuffing into a bag. He just blinked before looking away and resuming the stuffing of the bag.

"Yukio-kun...?"

"I'm leaving."

Yume stared at him for a long moment before averting her eyes, "You're leaving me, too?"

"I have to. Usaka-Niisan broke his promise."

"...But-"

"I'm sorry; I have to do this. I'll find Usaka-Niisan and bring him home, okay?" Yukio reassured, placing a hand on Yume's pate comfortingly. She, however, was not comforted.

"...You're not happy with just me, are you?"

"Yume-chan, that's not...I don't..." Yukio struggled for the right words, but the damage was done. Yume sniffled before hugging the Dalmatian closer to her.

"Fine! I don't need you! _**I don't need anyone!**__" She then ran out of the room, out of the underground sanctuary, and out of the Hidden Sand Village. Every few minutes, she would look over her shoulder, to see if Yukio was chasing after her._

He wasn't.

**//+//**

"Kankuro, I can't find him."

Kankuro swore under his breath before anxiously looking up and down the hallway; Gaara had evaded the two once again. "Shit. You don't think he would do something _now_? When so many examiners are here?"

Temari sighed worriedly before beginning to walk down the hallway, "I hope not."

**//+//**

He stared at one of the multiple doors that resided inside the tower. This particular door seemed to call out to him, beckoning him to enter.

Who was he to refuse?

Just as he put his hand on the door to slide it open, however, he paused. Someone was on the other side; someone with a large chakra.

Without hesitation, he slid the door open. However, he just blinked at the strange sight that was before him.

Meyu was in the far corner of the room, knees up to her chest, and her eyes staring at the wall. Her head didn't turn, she didn't move for her kunai pouch; in fact, she didn't do anything.

She just sat there, staring at the opposite wall blankly, with her hair a tangled mess.

He just stared at her, not caring if she noticed he was there.

"Sorry, Mr. Sandman; I don't want to fight you right now." Obviously, she knew he was here. She just refrained from turning her head away from the wall.

"It would be the opportune moment." His tone was cool, but not demanding. It was this that tore her gaze away from the wall and onto him.

"Why are you still here? Your family should be looking for you," She added stiffly, wrapping her arms around her knees. He blinked.

"I have never thought of them as my family."

"Maybe you should start." She quickly fired back, a little to roughly even for her standards. She didn't apologize, however, and watched as his eyes narrowed.

"Don't order _me_ around."

She just stared up at him, and raised an eyebrow when he quietly stepped into the room and slid the door shut behind him. "Planning on killing me without an audience?"

He just stared back before blinking, "That wouldn't be as enjoyable."

"Of course; I forgot I was dealing with a sadist." She finally smirked, and for some reason, it was a slight relief to him. He wasn't used to this side of her; not that he was used to the other side, of course.

"...Why are you here alone? Genin could easily come and attack, despite the examiners." He changed the subject, and she shrugged, leaning her head against the wall while staring at the ceiling.

"If that's so, then why don't you attack me?"

"I prefer an audience."

"Liar. You don't care who or where you kill," She glanced over at him, "So what's the deal, **Mr. Sandman**?"

He blinked, the faint surprise showing in his eyes, "...Why do you know so much about me?" He questioned, straightening himself up as he slowly began to stalk over to her.

She watched as he moved closer, not moving from her spot, "I know a lot of things."

"Really? What else do you know, then?" His tone was demanding now, and she smirked slightly before sighing.

"Mm...You're Sabaku no Gaara; Gaara of the Desert. You are the Kazekage's spoiled son." His eyes flashed slightly as he continued to step closer.

"Go on."

"You had the spirit of a sand demon named Shukaku fused into you before your birth. Upon your birth, your mother died, cursing you from her grave." He stopped on the right of her, the side of her body that he was facing not against the wall of the room.

"Anything _else_?" His eyes were now narrowed, and she noticed that his hands were in fists. However, she kept eye contact, although her lips were now set into a grim line.

"You grew unstable at around six years of age, and your own father ordered multiple assassinations upon you. The first attempt was by your own uncle, who you thought had loved you. He revealed that he hated you before exploding from explosive notes. You then came to believe that your life's purpose was to kill, and," She paused before waving a hand around the room, "Here we are."

She hadn't noticed that he was holding his head in one hand, while his other was outstretched towards her. Once she did, however, she just stared at it, waiting for the sand.

It never came.

"So...You know my life story." He stated coolly, still holding his head as he lowered his other hand back down to his side. She nodded, her lips still set into a thin line.

"Yeah."

"And I only know your name." At this, her eyes flashed. She blinked slowly before lowering her head slightly, looking down at the toes of her sandals. There was a long, stretched out silence before she sighed.

"Actually...My-"

"Gaara!"

"Meyu!"

There was a flash of blue and yellow, and suddenly Temari was standing in front of Gaara protectively while Azi had yanked Meyu up into a standing position by the arm.

"What the hell are you doing, running off like that?!" Azi scolded, light blue eyes flashing. Meyu looked away but easily yanked her arm out of his grip.

"Nothing."

"Gaara, we've been looking everywhere for you; are you alright?" Temari questioned, also worried. Gaara glared before crossing his arms over his chest.

"...Let's go." He murmured, ignoring her question. Quietly, he walked out of the room, Temari following with a sigh. Azi, however, glared over at Gaara with a scowl.

"Yo, you stay away from her, got it?!" Meyu blinked in faint surprise when Gaara stopped, one hand on the door.

Gaara looked over his shoulder, eyes hard. "I'll do whatever I please."

"Just stay away from her!" Azi yelled, taking a step forward to emphasize this.

"Azi." The three blinked before looking over at Meyu, who was crossing her arms over her chest. "Shut up."

"But...I-"

"We'll be seeing you soon, Mr. Sandman." Meyu said lightly with a smile, giving a small salute. Gaara blinked at her before the corner of his lip twitched. He then turned back to the door, slid it open, and stepped out into the hallway, Temari following.

Once they were alone, Azi immediately turned to her, eyes narrowed. "What's the matter with you? You run out of the room holding your head, and then I find you talking to _him_?"

"You didn't seem troubled by him earlier." Her tone was cool and suave, causing him to frown.

"Well, you were with _me_; I was there to watch over you. I can't watch over you if you run off!"

Meyu's eyes narrowed, "You're just like Koji; I'm not a little kid."

"I'm not treating you like one! Have you _ever_ thought that maybe, for just a moment, that I might _actually_ care about you?! God, you just make me so..."

She immediately tensed when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders tightly, pressing her to his chest.

"You piss me off so much...Always pretending that everything's fine..." Azi grumbled, tightening his hold on her when she began to squirm uncomfortably. His chin was resting on the top of her head, and her hair felt soft against his skin.

Her face was squished against his chest, and her arms were locked at her sides. Mindlessly, she noticed that he smelt of citrus fruit; oranges, to be exact.

"Why don't you open up to me? I promise I'll fight away anything."

She blinked before shifting, "...You want me to open up?"

"Yeah." His arms were now wrapped around her waist, allowing her to push herself away little by little.

"...Okay. I'll tell you something." She looked up at him, eyes hard and her lips set in a frown, "Stop touching me."

Azi blinked before lowering his eyes, letting his arms fall from her waist. His light blue hair matched the hue of his eyes, which easily reflected the dejection of his heart. "I just want to help you."

"I don't need help." Meyu added coolly, and he sighed before nodding.

"...Right," He mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets before prodding out of the room, sliding the door shut behind him. As soon as he was in the hallway, he perked his head up and looked down to the left with a frown; he could have sworn he felt someone's chakra.

And it was big.

With a frown, he shrugged it off and began walking to the right, down the hallway. He was getting used to this; this was the third time he had acted in such a way.

Old habits die hard.

**//+//**

Back in the room she leaned against a wall, chin lowered to her chest and her arms crossed over her stomach. Her eyes were closed, and her brow was furrowed.

She hated when this happened. It was so awkward for her, so uncomfortable.

She couldn't feel anything else but that; there was no little insects flying around in her stomach like the storybooks told her, and no fireworks ever appeared behind her eyelids.

There was nothing for her. Maybe he felt something, maybe he had little insects flying around in his intestines and maybe an entire firework show was happening when he closed his eyes. But to her, it was nothing.

And she was mad at that.


	12. Tension

"Samuru-sama, we need to pull her back."

A man stroked his chin, eyeing Taji with boredom. "Oh?"

"Please, she's not even that important. She's already served her purpose; just send her back." The office was spacious, and white and blue furniture were spread about. Behind an oak desk, Samuru sat in his favorite chair, leaning back with an arrogant air.

"You don't think she has a purpose anymore, then?"

"Not for you, not for _this_." Taji then set the clipboard onto Samuru's desk, turning it towards the elder. "Look; she needs to be stabilized. Letting her get near Murabashi-san was a mistake."

Samuru frowned as he lifted the clipboard up to read, "I see. We'll just need to plan Kaya-chan's capture more quickly."

"Please do. Yume can't handle being outside by her; her mind is retrogressing too quickly." Samuru nodded, sliding the clipboard back over the surface of the desk.

"I'll send for her," He paused to smirk, "_After_ the Chuunin Selection Exams."

Taji's eyes widened, "But, Samuru-sama, you know what the Sand is doing!"

"So? It shouldn't affect her."

"But, her side-mission...Gaara-kun-"

Samuru chuckled, cutting Taji off, "It's not like she could become attached; don't fret, if things take a turn for the worse, I'll send for her."

At this, Taji sighed in relief before smiling and bowing, "_Arigato_, Samuru-sama."

**//+//**

_"Yume, this is your mission: make contact with a Murabashi Kaya through the Chuunin Selection Exams at Konoha. Watch her through the Exam, and take notice of any strengths or weaknesses. You are to deliver weekly reports to Taji, Usaka-san, or me. Don't interact with her; just observe."_

"How boring...Why do _**I**__ have to do it?"_

"No reason. If you are so bored by the task, would you like a side-mission to relate with this one?

"_**Anything**__ will do."_

He smirked before leafing through the file cabinet underneath his desk. He then threw a file onto the desk, "Well, why don't you check this out, then?"

She frowned before picking up the file and scanning through it, "Sabaku no Gaara? What do you want from him?"

"See what makes him tick. And if you can, see if you can get some DNA for me, hm?"

"You want to clone him? How original." Her tone was bitterly sarcastic.

"Do you want the side-mission or not?"

"Okay, okay, I'll take it."

**//+//**

She didn't know exactly where they were; the building was large, and the room that all the Genin had been assembled to had two levels, and two large arm structures that came together in a hand seal.

'_An arena...?_'

The Genin were all lined up in front of the Hokage, who stood on a slightly raised platform, while Jounin-senseis stood behind him and the examiners on either side.

"First off, congratulations on passing the Second Exam." Anko announced, to the Hokage's left.

She bumped shoulders with an individual next to her. "Watch it." Meyu blinked and looked to her right, only to give a slow smile. Kiba's face paled, and Akamaru immediately jumped back into his owner's jacket.

"Long time no see," Was all she said before smiling and turning back to face the Hokage, Kiba swallowing nervously while petting Akamaru.

'_...Those other three, where is their sensei?_' Anko mused aimlessly, glancing back at the Jounin-senseis who were aligned behind the Hokage. '_...Strange._'

"We will now have an explanation of the Third Exam from Hokage-sama. Everyone listen well." Anko then announced, turning to the Hokage, "Hokage-sama, please do the honors."

"Yes," Hokage Sarutobi stepped forward, clearing his throat, "The Third Exam will begin. But before the explanation, there's one thing I want to make clear to all of you."

Jiko noticed that Hinata shifted uncomfortably in her spot to his right.

"It's about the true purpose of this exam. Why we do a joint exam with the allied nations." Sarutobi paused before continuing, "'To maintain good relations with the allied nations' and 'heighten the level of ninja'...Do not let those reasons deceive you. This 'exam', so to speak, is..." His voice trailed off again, and he took his pipe out of his mouth, allowing a puff of smoke to emit. "The epitome of a war between allied nations."

"What do you mean?" Tenten questioned, and Meyu glanced over to see that she looked a little dusty. In fact, everyone here looked a little roughed up. Blinking, she then looked down at herself before smirking; not even a scratch.

"If we go back through history, the allied nations right now were neighboring countries that have fought each other over and over again." Hokage Sarutobi responded, "To avoid wasting military power, those countries decided to choose a place to fight. That is the beginning of the Chuunin Selection Exam."

On Kiba's right, Naruto stepped forward, "Why do we have to do that? We're not doing this to select Chuunins?"

"Yes, this Exam does examine those who are worthy of the Chuunin title." Sarutobi continued his explanation, "But, on the other hand, it's also a place where ninja fight and carry their country's dignity."

At this, Meyu frowned, touching the Suna head protector that had been tied at her waist.

"Country's dignity?" Sakura questioned; Meyu noted that she had received a rather choppy haircut.

Sarutobi's gaze turned solemn, "In this Third Exam, feudal lords and famous people from various countries who may be potential clients are invited here as guests. And feudal lords from countries with hidden villages and ninja leaders will see your battles."

Meyu smirked before looking over to the far right; she smiled when Gaara glanced her way before narrowing his eyes. '_He'll have an audience, then._'

"If there's a significant difference in power, the strong country will be flooded with jobs. If a country is seen as weak, their jobs will decrease. And at the same time, countries are able to show how their village has grown and possess excellent military power to the adjacent countries. In other words, they can try to put foreign pressure on them."

'_...It sounds like a big advertisement to me._' Azi pondered, staring idly at Meyu's back.

"So why do we have to fight with the risk of losing our lives?" Kiba questioned roughly, stepping forward. Meyu gave him a sideway glance; he reminded her of Uzumaki.

At this, Sarutobi gave a small smile, lowering his pipe, "A country's power is the village's power. And a ninja's true power is only born in life-or-death battle."

'_Life or death? Interesting._' Jiko mused silently, hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"This Exam is also a place to show off the ninja's power of one's country. Since this is an exam where you fight with your life on the line, it has a meaning...And your predecessors have fought and dreamed of being in this Chuunin Exam because of it."

Meyu shifted, uncomfortable; she knew Azi was watching her. She would have to deal with him later.

"But why do you say it is to promote good relations?" Tenten seemed very talkative today.

"I told you at the beginning to not get it confused with that," Hokage Sarutobi replied, still holding his pipe. "The custom of shoving one's life and fighting to maintain balance...That is the good relation in the world of ninja. This is a **life**-or-**death** battle for your dream and village's dignity."

Meyu couldn't help but frown. '_Dreams, huh?_'

"...I understand now." Surprisingly, it was Naruto that said this statement.

"I don't care. Tell us the details of this life-or-death exam." Meyu blinked before sighing; Mr. Sandman the sadist, as usual.

Sarutobi nodded in agreement, "Then I will now begin the explanation of the Third Exam, but..."

Suddenly, a man dropped down in front of the Hokage, bent on his knees. "Excuse me, Hokage-sama," the Jounin started, "I, Gekkou Hayate, the judge, will explain."

"Please do," Sarutobi replied, and at this, the Jounin, Hayate, stood.

"Everyone, it's nice to meet you." Suddenly, he broke out into a small coughing fit, and Meyu raised an eyebrow when he turned around.

'_He looks pretty sick for a Jounin..._'

"Everyone, before the Third Exam..." Hayate coughed again, "There's something I want you to do." Another cough or two.

'_The Hokage is in better shape than him._' Jiko thought shrewdly when Hayate continued to cough violently.

Finally, the coughing was done, and Hayate sighed, "Fight in some preliminary matches to see who gets to advance to the Third Exam's main battle."

"Preliminary?" Meyu questioned; many were thinking the same thing, for a few protests were made.

"Preliminary matches?"

"Preliminary matches?! What do you mean?!" Shikamaru scowled, while Sakura looked over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Sensei, I don't understand what you mean by preliminary matches."

Meyu couldn't help but sigh. '_And she's the smart one?_'

"Why can't we just start the Third Exam with the remaining examinees?"

Hayate gave another sigh, "In this case, it must have been because the First and Second Exam were too easy, I don't know...But there are too many examiners left. According to Chuunin regulations, we must decrease the number of participants for the Third Exam."

Sakura's small 'oh, no!' went ignored by the majority as Hayate continued, "As previously mentioned by Hokage-sama, there are many guests for the Third Exam, so we cannot just have a lot of matches. We are limited on time as well. So, those who aren't feeling well..." As if on cue, Hayate began to cough again. "Excuse me," He apologized once the fit was done. "If anyone wants to quit after hearing the explanation, please let me know. The preliminary matches will begin immediately."

"Immediately?!" Kiba protested, on Meyu's right.

"But we just got through the Second Exam..." Ino stated her tone softer than Kiba's. Shikamaru rolled his eyes from behind her.

"How troublesome..."

"What? What about my meal?" Chouji complained, in awe.

Naruto swallowed nervously, and Meyu glanced over at him. '_I wonder if he'd make it through..._'

"Ah, I forgot to mention this, but you will have one-on-one matches from here on out. So please withdraw if you wish."

"**No.**" Meyu immediately hissed, sensing that Jiko was going to protest. Which he did.

"We can't take a risk right now; Samuru-sama said to lie low anyways..."

"I'm not withdrawing. I want to play around a little bit." Meyu added with a smirk, once again looking over at Gaara. Jiko noticed this and immediately frowned.

"Hey-"

"I'll quit."

Immediately, everyone's eyes were drawn to the person who had raised their hand. Surprisingly, it was Kabuto.

"Kabuto-san...?" Naruto questioned, confused.

"Let's see, you are Konoha's Yakushi Kabuto-kun? You may leave then." Hayate replied, after checking with the clipboard.

"_Hai_." Kabuto then proceeded to exit the room, as if no one was staring at him openly.

"Kabuto-san, why are you quitting?! Why?" Naruto asked, obviously hurt. Kabuto blinked before glancing over is shoulder sadly.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but my body is completely worn out already. Even before the First Exam, after I had that quarrel with the Sound guys, I couldn't hear anything in my left ear. I can't fight right away, especially if it's a life-or-death battle."

"He's smart; you should do the same." Jiko immediately began to continue his protests after Kabuto had exited the area. Meyu had closed her eyes, however, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"No."

"Yume-"

"Yo, let her do it." Meyu and Jiko turned around to see Azi, his hands resting lazily behind his head. "We'll be here to watch her, right? Nothing will happen to her with us here." He reassured, and Jiko frowned slightly before finally giving a sigh.

"As you wish..."

Meyu smiled and put her hands on her hips, "I knew you two would see it my way eventually."

"May I assume there are no more people who wish to retire?" Hayate asked, giving a light cough.

"Yo, if we quit, can we still watch?" Azi asked idly, while Jiko and Meyu stared at him.

"Zai!"

"I have nothing against it." Hayate replied, flipping a few sheets over in his clipboard.

"Then I'll quit." Azi stated, letting his arms fall back to his sides. Hayate nodded.

"Suna's Azi? You may go up to the upper-level, then."

"Sounds good. Jiko, join me?" Azi asked as he walked over to the staircase that led up to the upper-level, glancing over his shoulder. Jiko frowned, but shrugged and raised his hand.

"Me, too."

"Sand's Jiko; you may leave."

"Hey, hey! Us, too!"

'_What the hell?_'

"Anyone else? No? Then let's begin the preliminary matches. It will be a one-on-one match. In other words, it will be like real combat. Now that we have 22 people, we will have 11 matches...And the winners will be able to advance to the Third Exam. There are no rules. You will fight until the other person dies, is knocked out, or admits defeat. If you do not want to die, please give up immediately. However, if I judge that the match is over..."

Hayate gave a short cough. "I may stop you to prevent any unnecessary deaths. The thing that will hold your destiny..." Hayate then looked over at Anko, who nodded and touched the microphone that was attached to the headset she wore.

"Open it."

A large stone panel that was up on the wall behind the examiners and Jounin slowly raised, revealing a black, electronic board. "Will be this," Hayate finished, motioning to the screen.

"This electric bulletin board will randomly display the names of two fighters for each match." He then turned back to the Genin, "Without further ado, I will now display the names for the first match."

Names flashed across the board, reflecting off of Meyu's red violet eyes. Suddenly, it stopped, revealing two names.

**Akadou Yoroi  
VS  
Uchiha Sasuke**

Her eyes flashed before smiling slowly. '_Mr. Uchiha, eh? Interesting..._'

Everyone's eyes were one the Uchiha, and he noticed. He just smirked, however, and grabbed his left shoulder.

"Those whose names were displayed, step up."

Sasuke and Yoroi, an older guy with dark glasses and a cloth mask covering most of his face, walked up to Hayate.

"The first match's fighters are Akadou Yoroi and Uchiha Sasuke. Are there any objections?"

"No." Both replied, tense.

'_So...A Sound-nin..._' Meyu mused, eyeing Yoroi's head protector. '_Just what are you planning...Orochimaru?_'

"We will now begin the first match. Everyone other than the first two fighters, please move up there." Hayate instructed, motioning over to the staircase that led up to the upper-level. Meyu walked quietly, following the crowd as they walked up. Once on the upper-level, however, she stalked over to Jiko and Azi, who were both leaning against the railing.

"_Baka_, what are you two thinking?"

"What? It'll all be unnecessary fighting." Azi added, glancing over at her. She frowned before looking to Jiko.

"Koji, you too?"

"...I'm not for unnecessary fighting." Was all he said, and she sighed, rubbing at her temples.

"You two..."

"Hey, at least you'll have a higher chance of fighting Murabashi-san." Azi suggested, his back to the railing as he stared at Meyu, who looked taken aback.

"Excuse me?"

"That's why you're still here, right? You want to fight her."

Meyu stared back before smirking and glancing over to the far left, where Kaya and her team were. "I suppose."

"You should forfeit, if you're up against her." Jiko stated lowly, and she scowled at him.

"You're no fun."

"Don't you remember that incident a couple days ago? Or have you forgotten already?" Jiko questioned, grabbing her hand, which had been bandaged again. She winced slightly before pulling it back to her chest.

"I haven't. Your questions are annoying me." She added with a frown before turning and walking to the right, away from the two of them.

Jiko and Azi shared a glance before Azi nodded, pushing himself away from the railing. "I'll watch her."

"Like you always do?"

Azi grinned down at Jiko, "Yep."

**//+//**

He was staring down at the arena, more particularly at Uchiha Sasuke. However, his gaze shifted slightly when he heard someone walk past him. Blinking, he looked to his left and right; Kankuro, Temari, and Baki, his Jounin-sensei. Farther down were the three Sound-nins and their sensei, a Konoha team, and _them_. Azi and Jiko; the other Suna team.

But one team member was missing.

"G-Gaara? Where are you going?"

Gaara ignored his elder brother's question and continued to walk to the very end of the upper-level. Kankuro frowned before shaking his head, "Why do I even try?"

"He'll be okay; we can still see him." Temari reassured before turning back to the fight.

'_Strange, though...I thought Gaara was interested in this guy, and he doesn't stay to watch the match?_'

"He's watching." Baki, the Jounin-sensei, stated lowly, glancing over at Gaara. "Just with someone else."

"_What_? He's by her, again?" Temari questioned, looking over to where Gaara stood. He was definitely standing by **her**. "What's the matter with him?"

"Quiet; let him do as he pleases for the time being." Baki instructed, and Temari frowned but sighed and turned back to the battle, which looked like was about to begin.

**//+//**

"...Your teammates quit."

"Don't rub it in." Meyu said with a scowl, leaning over the railing, glancing over at Gaara. He wasn't looking at her, but rather at Sasuke, who was down below.

She followed his gaze and nodded, "Interested in him?"

"...Yes."

"Mm...Mr. Sandman?"

He glanced down at her, "What?"

She was faintly surprised that he had answered to his nickname, but remained impassive, "Why are you talking to me?"

"Because I can."

"Well, if that's not a good reason, then I don't know what is." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but he shrugged it off.

"Why are you talking to **me**? I'm sure your little friend told you not to?" His tone was harsh, but she also shrugged it off.

"If someone told you to jump off of a bridge, would you?" When there was no reply, she smiled. "See?"

"...You're annoying." Gaara mumbled, leaning closer on the railing when Hayate stepped forward in the arena.

"Begin." He announced, and the match begun.

Meyu watched as Sasuke and Yoroi threw weapons at each other for a moment before glancing back up at Gaara. "Which brings me back to my question: why do you talk to me, let alone be in the same room as me?"

There was a long pause, in which Sasuke had fallen onto his stomach before sliding away just in time to avoid Yoroi's fist. Gaara watched the fight for another moment before stepping away from the railing.

"...Your friend is looking for you." He mumbled before walking away, back to his team. Meyu stared at his back before sighing and looking back to the fight.

Sure enough, a moment later, a hand was placed on her shoulder. "Don't walk off like that."

Meyu shrugged Azi's hand off of her shoulder and glared down at the arena. "You were only a couple yards away when I was talking to him; am I not allowed to speak to anyone unless you're at my waist, now?"

Azi groaned before leaning against the railing next to her. "I didn't say that."

"Whatever. Where's Koji?"

"Where I left him."

Meyu scowled before pushing away from the railing and walking back to where Jiko resided, leaving Azi, once again, alone at the railing. He sighed, cupping his chin in his hand while resting his elbow on the railing.

'_Why can't they find a cure __**now**__...?_'


	13. Glass

_"Thank you."_

"That's quite an expensive meal; is this your last?" The man behind the counter joked, handing the eight-year-old girl a bag. She looked up at him solemnly, hugging the bag to her chest.

_"...Maybe." She mumbled, catching the man off guard. _

_"What? What are you talking about?" _

_The girl had already exited the building, however, back out into Suna. The sand from the roads kicked up behind her as she ran, clutching the meal to her. It was almost sundown; she didn't want to eat in the dark._

Finally, she made it to the end of the street, looking both ways before pushing a boulder away, revealing a slanted hole. Quickly, she scrambled down it, pulling the rock back over the entrance behind her.

"This is the best meal ever. Usaka-Niisan isn't here to tell me what I can't eat and Yukio-kun won't steal food from my plate." She said cheerfully, placing the bag down on the table that had been constructed from wire. The underground house was slowly beginning to crumble away. The earth was growing old, and the air musty.

She was leaving soon.

"Yum! Daifuku, rice balls, and pocky! And no brothers to bug me." She added, lying to herself as she emptied the contents of the bag onto the table. Smiling, she unwrapped a rice ball, and sunk her teeth into it. Inside was red jam, but suddenly, the rice ball began to taste very soggy.

She pulled the treat away and blinked when she felt something damp fall down her cheeks. So, she was crying.

"...Yum...This is really good." She continued, her voice cracking as she took another bite. She squeezed her eyes shut, sniffling as she chewed and swallowed. "Good thing Usaka-Niisan and Yukio-kun aren't here; they wouldn't let me..."

She didn't finish. Instead, she gave a scream before throwing the rice ball at one of the earthen walls. Her face was in her hands, leaking tears, so she wasn't able to watch as the rice ball slowly slid down the wall, the red jam oozing out onto the floor.

**//+//**

The fight had seemed to go by so fast. Sasuke had won, using an extravagant Taijutsu that knocked Yoroi unconscious. He had then reluctantly exited the area with his sensei, Kakashi, and into a back room.

She hadn't been paying to close of attention, so she didn't know or care for the details.

"How is it?"

"Better. I think the bandage and gauze worked." Meyu added cheerfully, looking at her burnt hand. Jiko glanced at her before sighing.

"So...You're intent on staying until the end?" He questioned, watching as she flexed her fingers.

"Of course; I **always** finish what I start."

"I'm not happy about this."

"Did I ask for your approval?"

Jiko frowned before sighing, reaching over to poke Meyu firmly on the forehead. "You are stubborn."

**//+//**

"Now, we will begin the second match." Hayate announced, looking back up at the electric bulletin board that controlled the Genin's fates.

'_Going second wouldn't be a bad position; you've already seen what it's like, and you can finish it up quickly._' Azi mused, glancing over at the board as he sauntered back over to his teammates.

Names flashed back and forth for a few moments before stopping.

'_What?! What are the chances of that happening?!_' Azi stared at the board, paralyzed.

**Murabashi Kaya**

VS

Meyu

"...That was fast." Meyu stated, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips before easily jumping over the railing, landing on the arena below. "**Kaya-chan!** Come down here!"

**//+//**

He stopped in front of the building, staring at the entrance. He could sense the multiple chakras inside, and sighed before touching his vest, the color changing from a dark purple to a green.

"Samuru-sama is so cruel...Setting the board up." He mumbled before walking in, his light purple hair falling into his line of vision.

**//+//**

Meyu smirked toothily when Kaya had finally stepped up to the arena, pale green eyes narrowed in determination.

"I hope you know that this isn't personal." Kaya stated with a smile. "I don't want you mad after I beat you, after all."

Meyu couldn't contain her snort. "Keep dreaming, Kaya-chan."

"We will now begin the second match; I will stop the match if-

"Shut up and start the match."

Hayate was taken aback at how Meyu's tone had hardened, but frowned and nodded, taking a few steps back. "Begin."

Meyu immediately rushed forward, causing Kaya to jump back. Both stopped and stared at each other, a few yards away.

"Forfeit before I hurt you." Kaya taunted, the nice disposition she had shown earlier on immediately disintegrating. Meyu smirked.

"Sorry; I **always** finish what I start." Kaya frowned at this, but immediately tensed and bent herself over backwards when multiple wires were whipped out at her. Nimble, she twisted herself into a back flip before landing on her feet, arms raised in defense.

"You think your wires can defeat my water?" She questioned, water flowing to her hand from the kunai pouch that she kept on her hip. Meyu flexed her fingers, short wires growing out of the fingertips.

"**Let's play**."

**//+//**

_"Why should I keep her around? Once the tests are done, I'll have the information I need for someone more important."__**Another**__ deal? You already sold yourself to ensure protection, what more can you possibly have?"_

"Samuru-sama, please! I beg of you..."

"Oh get up, Usaka. You're making a fool of yourself."

"Let me make another deal!"

"Ha!

"I-I'll give you her! I'll give you her if you promise to take care of her until she's ready."

"...Hm. I'll accept; on one condition."

"Anything."

"I will be allowed to do as many tests on her as I please, and she will be branded."

"...Tests?"

"Yes or no?"

"Y-Yes! Just please, take her under your wing; protect her."

"Fine, fine...You'll just need to sign a few papers; just to seal the deal."

"Of course."

"In blood, as well."

"...Okay."

"Hmph; you are too kind, Usaka."

**//+//**

"_Mizu Rensa_!"

Meyu ducked as she continued to sprint over to Kaya, who was now frowning. When Meyu was but a yard away, however, she disappeared. Kaya's eyes widened as she circled around, a stream of water surrounding her torso in defense.

"Come out!" She yelled, only to twist her waist to the right, the water following and blocking a kick that Meyu had sent.

However, this allowed Kaya's left side to be open, and Meyu quickly dragged a short wire against her hip, ripping Kaya's clothing and breaking skin.

Kaya hissed and twisted again, using the stream of water as a whip, which smacked Meyu's stomach, sending her jumping backwards.

Meyu scowled, holding her stomach for a moment before moving her arm, revealing that the exposed part of her stomach was red and now bruised.

'_Amazing...That water is definitely not normal._' Azi thought as he watched Meyu do some familiar hand seals. He smirked as he recognized them. '_Copier._'

"_Sen Kobushi 3 Atari no Jutsu!_"

Instantly, Meyu was squatting in front of Kaya, whose eyes widened before she could move. Meyu looked up and smirked before driving her palm into Kaya's stomach. "_1 Atari_!"

The impact caused Kaya to bounce slightly up in the air, and Meyu moved underneath her, her palm making contact with Kaya's stomach again, sending her up higher. "_2 Atari!_"

"_G-Gyuo..._" Kaya stumbled out, being able to do a couple hand seals while in midair before pulling her arms back in front of her face to shield any more attacks.

Meyu smirked up at Kaya before jumping to meet her halfway, pulling her arm back to deliver another well-placed hit. However, just before her palm was to make contact with Kaya's arms to break her shield, she felt it go numb.

'_What?_'

She observed in surprise that her right arm, from shoulder down, had been covered in ice. However, she just looked back up at Kaya with a smirk, pulling back her left hand. "I'm ambidextrous; I use **both** hands."

Just before they hit the ground, Meyu slammed her left palm into Kaya's arms, breaking the shield, "_3 Atari!_"

Kaya cried out as she was pushed back a good couple of feet, landing on her back. Meyu smirked, but frowned at her right arm, which had remained frozen. '_I can't feel my muscles at all..._'

"_Aisu Kireme!_" Meyu blinked before screaming, the ice around her arm tightening before breaking from the tension.

A loud _crack!_ could be heard as the bone broke, her arm now hanging limply at her side while her breathing grew ragged.

Kaya smirked smugly from her spot on the ground, forcing herself to sit up as Meyu dropped to one knee, panting while her brow was coated in sweat.

Hayate glanced back and forth between the two before furrowing his brow; he hadn't expected bones to be broken so early on in the matches.

"Damnit..." Meyu swore, standing up while glancing down at her arm, biting her lip. She frowned before narrowing her eyes over at Kaya, who had pushed herself up; her stomach was now also bruised heavily along with her forearms.

"Just forfeit...You already lost one arm." Kaya pointed out, still trying to persuade her opponent into quitting. Meyu, however, just smirked.

"This means I still have another." Kaya frowned, but slowly gave a sly grin, spreading her feet out and raising her arms.

"Good point; I still have another one to break."

**//+//**

"Where do you think you're going?"

He glanced over at one of the examiners. "To watch my student. Now move."

The examiner that had spoken out frowned, but stepped aside from the staircase, allowing him to walk up. Silently, he passed by the other teams, only sharing a short glance with Baki before looking back forwards.

His hair had been tied into a low ponytail, and his bangs framed a handsome face as he walked on, hands in the pockets of his black running pants. Red violet eyes were only half-open as he watched the railing out of the corner of his right eye.

His pace slowed when he passed a certain redhead, but sped back up after a few moments. '_...I see._'

He finally stopped in the middle of the railing, glancing down at the arena before leaning against the railing on his side, idly watching as Meyu touched her right arm gingerly.

'_She let her hair grow._' He observed quietly, noticing how her identical light purple hair now cascaded half an inch past her shoulders. He frowned, however, when he noticed something missing.

'_The ribbon. She's not wearing it..._'

"_Sen nankan!_"

He watched, one eyebrow raised, as a barrier of wires followed Meyu's left hand, blocking a kick and another Ninjutsu from Kaya. '_...She's grown._'

**//+//**

Gaara watched as Meyu then used the wires to wrap around Kaya's ankles, gluing her in her current spot.

"She's so different in this battle." He heard Azi mumble a few yards away, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

'_What makes this battle so important?_'

**//+//**

Meyu smirked; her wires were wrapped around Kaya's ankles, and one lone wire was slowly beginning to wrap itself around her neck.

She was trapped.

"You shouldn't be too cocky; people have better talents than you." Meyu added lightly, but Kaya just smirked at her.

"You think you're better than me?" She inquired with a smile, and Meyu chuckled.

"I **know** I'm better than you." She replied coolly, only for her pupils to dilate and her body to freeze.

_"She's so much better than her; I don't understand why Samuru-sama keeps her around."__**Yume's nothing compared to her.**__"_

"He'll probably just throw her out once he's done; the other one obviously has more potential, with her mind being...Normal, and all."

"So true.

Meyu suddenly took a step back, the wires retreating from Kaya's ankles. Her working hand went to her head instantly as she hissed, her eyes flashing.

"_Mizu Taki!_" Kaya whipped a stream of water over at Meyu's hunched form, only for wires to shoot out of the ground, automatically blocking the attack. "What?"

Scowling, Kaya moved both arms as she began to lash the hovering stream of water over and over again at Meyu, only for more wires to continuously block her efforts. "_Mizu Taki! Mizu Taki!_"

"_**Sen Kei!**_" Kaya gave a short cry as jagged wires whipped across her torso, sending her flying to the ground and rolling over a couple of times before coming to a stop on her back.

Weakly, she lifted her head to look over at Meyu, only for her eyes to widen: wires were sliding out of her back and wrapping themselves around her body. Not only that, but she was screaming as this happened.

Hayate's eyes widened as well as the wires stopped, covering Meyu's torso completely. Now, the wires slid down to the ground, crawling over to Kaya, who was now trying to push herself up.

"_M-Mizu-_" Kaya was cut off when one wire leapt from the ground, slashing her cheek roughly.

"I...Want to kill you." Kaya looked away from the wires to see that Meyu had stalked over, and was now only a yard away, eyes narrowed and her breathing heavy. Kaya yelped when she felt the cool metal slide up onto her legs, and she winced as they cut into her skin.

"S-Stop!"

The wires tightened around her legs, and Kaya screamed when she felt the bone of her left leg begin to crack.

"This match is over!" Hayate suddenly shouted, moving to dart in-between the two, but someone had gotten there before him. Actually, two people had.

Kaya was whimpering, close to tears, as the wires slowly slid off of her body, leaving her left leg mangled and her right a cut up mess. A man with tanned skin stood before her, his amber eyes narrowed. "A-Akion-sensei..."

The tanned man, Akion, however, did not respond. He was glaring at the other man; the man who had stopped in front of Meyu.

His index finger was on her forehead, emitting a blue glow. Slowly, the wires slid off of her torso and dug back into her spine, causing her to twitch involuntarily. A moment later, her body stayed still, only for her eyes to be glazed over and her vision to become blurry.

"Usaka...She's not...Better than me." Meyu hissed, stumbling forward. Usaka's eyes were closed as he caught her before looking over his shoulder at Akion.

"Instead of glaring at me, you should tend to your student."

"As you to yours." Akion replied slyly before kneeling down in front of Kaya and gently scooping her up. "Where the hell are the Medical-nin?!"

Hayate sighed, sweating just a little, "Both Jounin-senseis entered the arena at the same time, so I cannot choose a winner by default. The match is a draw; neither of you will move forward."

Kaya whimpered again as she was lifted onto a small, white cot, the Medical-nin being careful with her leg. Akion stared down at her before smiling and patting her head, "You did well."

She blinked back tears before forcing a smile as she was carried away by two Medical-nins. Akion sighed before following them, exiting the room.

"Sir, we will see to it that your student receives direct medical attention. Please-" A third Medical-nin was cut off by Usaka, who had raised a hand.

"You lack in this field. I'll be taking care of her."

"But, sir-"

"Trust me." Usaka stated before wires bolted out of his skin, wrapping themselves around the two into a tight cocoon. A moment later, the wires unraveled to show that they had disappeared.

Hayate blinked before giving a short cough, "Okay...Let's begin the third match."

Blankly, Azi and Jiko stared at the board, no longer interested. Names flashed back and forth before two unknown names appeared.

**Zaku Abumi**

VS

Aburame Shino

Azi and Jiko shared a glance; there was no need to watch this fight.

In another moment, both were gone in a small puff of smoke, leaving the arena as Meyu and Usaka had before.

**//+//**

The room looked like it was made for more eloquent purposes; actually, it probably was. The floors were a white marble, along with the various columns that supported a glass ceiling. The ceiling had a large hole in the middle, acting as the eye of a dome, and allowing artificial light to shine down in a cylinder of light.

This light was focused on another dome.

This dome was made of glass, like the ceiling, but it was completely filled with water. It appeared to be hanging in midair, but if one were to examine it, you could see that it was poised on a very thin, metal wire.

This dome had two holes; one on the left, the other on the right. One tube was connected to each hole, the tubes leading inside the clear dome through the limpid water.

Inside the dome, the two tubes connected and a type of face mask jutted out in the middle. Obviously, one tube was carrying oxygen from the air into the dome, while the other emptied out the carbon dioxide that she was breathing out.

Yes, the mask was connected to a mouth, and in a steady beat, oxygen was being carried to her as carbon dioxide was being transported back out.

She was floating aimlessly in the water, eyes closed, and wires protruding from her spine.

The wires glowed red for a moment before her body jerked forward; the reaction was the wires slowly falling out of her back, and sinking back down to the bottom of the water-filled, glass dome.

She was covered, thankfully, by a water-resistant top that stopped just below her ribs, and sleek pants that clung to her lower body desperately to keep unwanted moisture from reaching her.

The bruised stomach was exposed, however, as well as the broken arm, which was floating by her side.

Suddenly, wires protruded from her right forearm and wrapped themselves around the entire arm. They tightened before digging back into her skin, leaving a few black marks that gradually disappeared.

He watched, tapping his clipboard with a pen. He observed the arm and sighed in relief, marking something down. '_Her Sensoujuu repaired her broken bone; amazing, just because her bone was broken in so many different places...And to be done so quickly._'

"Taji-san..."

Taji fumbled with the clipboard before blinking and turning around. Once he realized who it was, however, he smiled, "Koji, Zai-Oh, wait. I mean **Jiko** and **Azi**."

Jiko, now revealed as Koji, frowned, disregarding Taji's remark. "...How is she?"

Taji's smile faded before sighing, "Well, her arm's been repaired already...But..."

Just then, another series of wires slid out of her back, dropping down to the bottom of the dome to make a _clink!_

Azi, also having been revealed as Zai, stared at her. "What's happening?"

"This is how her body gets rid of the excess chakra; her Sensoujuu takes over and removes chakra by fusing it to the wires inside of her. The Sensoujuu then pushes the wires out of her spinal cord, which is where a majority of the wires are transported. The wires then push out of her, the chakra fused with it, and is released." Taji explained, and Koji nodded.

"So...The Sensoujuu has a mind of its own?"

"It tries to protect its user. Even if it is only a Tenkai Genkai." Taji responded, both not noticing that Zai had left the conversation.

He was in front of the dome, staring up at her blankly. He eyed the bruises on her stomach and frowned deeply, pressing a palm to the cool, glass surface.

"Zai...She'll be fine. She's just...Sleeping."

Zai glanced over his shoulder at Koji before giving a slow smile. "I guess she'd like to rest, right?"

"Yes, I think she would. Come; we'll report to Samuru-sama." Koji added, nudging his head over to the staircase that led to the lower-level. Zai nodded before following, hands in his pockets.

All of a sudden, they had gotten cold.


	14. Illusions

_A sack was dropped onto the table in front of him, it jingling as it made contact with the wood. _

_"Your payment." He said lowly, eyeing the other man that stood before him, whose eyes eagerly lit up. _

_"Ah, __**arigato**__ Kazekage-sama," the other man replied, greedily scooping the sack up and weighing it; it was satisfyingly heavy._

_"...The child?" The first man inquired, his face cast in a dark shadow from the wide, cone-shaped hat atop his head. The other man blinked before smirking, tying the sack to his belt. _

_"Ah, yes. She's due in a week."_

_"And the woman?"_

_"We both agreed; you can have the child a week after her birth." The other man replied, and the first man gave a nod, "Fair."_

_"Are you sure you don't want either of the two boys as well? They are in great physical shape-"_

_"No; the deal is sealed. Now leave." The first man interrupted firmly, and the other man frowned, but bowed and exited._

_The sound of coins jangling together could be heard throughout the room as he exited._

**//+//**

_Usaka laughed as he played with Yukio's tiny feet; the boy was nine, and the toddler two. "Yukio, we're going to have another baby in the family."_

"Baby?"

"Yes; he or she is going to look up to you, so you have to be a good example." Yukio's big, red violet eyes echoed wonder and awe.

"_**Really**__?"_

"Hai. Now, let's put you to bed; I'll wake you up when they come back from the Medical-nins." Usaka added, standing up straight as he looked around. The room was decorated heavily with purples and reds, and the setting sun caused it to be filled with a mixture of these colors, creating a dark crimson.

"Okay." Yukio clumsily stood up and took his older brother's hand, allowing himself to be lead back to his bedroom.

**//+//**

_Usaka's ears perked when he heard a door slam and shuffled footsteps._

"My apologies; the woman died in childbirth and was unable to attend."

Usaka frowned as he peered around the corner of a wall, and his eyes widened. A man he recognized as his father and another man in white were standing in his living room.

"Her presence was unnecessary...But the child?" The man in white spoke up, and Usaka smiled when he saw his father cradling a small bundle of cloth.

"Right here; a girl."

"Is she our sister?""

Both men froze before slowly looking over to the back of the room, where Usaka stood in the hallway, smiling. His father's eyes grew in fear.

"Usaka! I told you to go to bed!" He scolded, but Usaka was staring at the man in white, recognizing him.

"What are you doing? Why is Kazekage-sama here...?" He asked in confusion, looking back and forth between his father and the Kazekage.

The Kazekage looked over at the other man with narrowed eyes, "I _**thought**__ we were alone."_

"My apologies. Usaka, go! _**Now!**__" He added fiercely when Usaka would not move. Usaka blinked rapidly, glancing at the bundle of cloth that now began to squirm before sprinting down the hallway and into a room, where Yukio's muffled cries could be heard._

Sighing, the man turned back to the Kazekage, cradling the bundle in his arms. Carefully, he moved some of the cloth away to reveal the face of a sleeping infant, "I apologize. Here she is; the female Okino, for your service."

He then knelt down in front of the Kazekage, lifting the infant up to him as an offering. Looking down at the sleeping infant, the Kazekage idly waved a hand towards it, and one of the Suna-nin that had positioned behind him stepped up and took the child.

"Your deed is worthy of praise, Okino Doku. For money and protection, you give me our only daughter; why do I feel that this is a set-up?"

Doku, the father, immediately looked up, "Kazekage-sama, I'm appalled that you would think in that way. I am merely being a help to my lord."

The Kazekage stared down at him for a long moment before looking back over at the Suna-nin that was holding the infant, "Check it."

"Hai." Carelessly, the Suna-nin pushed back the cloth that was wrapped around the infant, exposing it to the air. It was bare, not including the diaper strapped to its bottom. Half-open red violet eyes stared up at the Suna-nin before the infant yawned, closing her eyes again.

"She's not wired, sir."

The Kazekage nodded before looking back at Doku, who had remained kneeling out of respect. "The rest of your payment will be given to you over the course of a week."

"A reasonable proposal, sir."

"Get up and go to your sleeping quarters. My guards will escort you; standard procedure, of course." The Kazekage added with a coy tone, but Doku only smiled as he stood, two Suna-nins immediately placing themselves on either side of his.

"It's understandable. Good night, Kazekage-sama."

**//+//**

_"Niisan, where's the baby?"_

Usaka was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at his feet. "...She's with the Kazekage right now."

"Is he giving her back?"

Usaka tensed before looking up at Yukio, who was staring back. Usaka blinked before smirking, "Yeah, he is. And I have to go pick her up."

**//+//**

_The room was underneath the village of Suna, away from the prying eyes of the citizens and the cruelty of misunderstandings._

An infant was crying inside the room, the heat of the nearby candles too much. The candles surrounded her in a circle, casting orange glows over her body. A seal of blood was drawn over her navel.

Eleven men were in the room with the infant, all with masks over their faces except for one.

"She's ready, Kazekage-sama."

The Kazekage nodded before reaching towards the infant, his hand reaching for her navel. He placed a finger on her navel, and the infant's cries grew louder as the blood kanji began to travel to where his finger was placed.

The finger suddenly retracted as a kunai whizzed by, almost striking the infant herself.

The Kazekage growled before stepping back, five Suna-nins immediately stepping in front. "_**Seize him!**__"_

Chaos erupted when a boy quickly jumped from the ceiling and onto the table that the infant was poised on. Swiftly, he scooped her up before jumping off of the table, and clear over the Suna-nin's heads.

Another moment later, he landed behind the ninja and began to sprint.

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed as he recognized the boy, "He has the child. _**Stop him.**__"_

The boy ran through a dimly lit hallway before he came to a fork. He paused before dashing to the left, just dodging multiple kunai that pierced the wall instead of their target.

Stumbling, he ran up flights of stairs, all the while trying to keep the infant from crying. "Sh, it's okay. Don't cry."

"There he is!"

He felt his chest freeze when he reached the top of the stairs to find a dead end, but just squeezed his eyes shut and continued to run. Sure enough, the dead end was just an illusion, and he felt crisp air on his skin.

Opening his eyes, he saw that he was running outside, on the rooftop of a building. Now grinning with confidence, he glanced over his shoulder to stick out his tongue and duck, a kunai flying an inch above his head.

"Hold on!" He exclaimed, seeing the ledge of the rooftop. Accelerating, he leapt over the edge, and allowed himself to fall through the air, smirking when he saw a Suna-nin look over the edge.

AS the air rushed behind him, he closed his eyes in concentration while bringing the now crying infant closer to his body. Gradually, wires protruded from his back and began to loosely wrap themselves around the two until they were in a metal cocoon.

When the cocoon hit the sandy road, it unraveled to reveal that the two were gone.

**//+//**

_Yukio had been staring at Usaka's empty bed for at least three hours now. His red violet eyes were vacant, and his light purple hair fell over them, casting a desolate aura._

Suddenly, he smiled and shot out of his bed, stumbling over his own feet as he scampered out of the room and into the hallway. "Niisan!"

There he was; Usaka was standing in the doorway of the front door, out of breath, but smiling. "Come on Yukio; we're going on an adventure."

Yukio stared up at Usaka with big eyes, "Huh? But what about Kazekage-sama?"

"We're playing 'Suna-nin'. We have to be quiet so we can sneak out of prison, okay?" Usaka ignored Yukio's question, causing the toddler to frown. But when Usaka held a hand out to him, he smiled and took it.

"Okay. Is she playing too?" Yukio whispered, matching Usaka's tone, as he pointed to the infant that was inside a small basket that was strapped onto Usaka's back. The elder smiled.

"Yep. Now, let's go to our underground base so we can report to Kazekage-sama, okay?"

"Okay!"

**//+//**

_Doku smirked as he pressed his back up against the wall, wires eerily protruding from his fingertips. Swiftly, he stepped out into the hallway and dragged the wires across the Suna-nin's mask, breaking the ceramic along with the man's face._

The man stood sill before collapsing to the ground, and Doku calmly walked over the body, his tongue darting out to like the crimson that tainted the wires. "Your guards taste delicious, Kazekage-sama."

"Thank you."

Doku chuckled before turning around, slowly lifting his arms up. Sure enough, two Suna-nins were standing behind him, the points of kunai digging into his stomach. "_**Couldn't sleep**__, Kazekage-sama?"_

"Your boy took her." The Kazekage stepped away from the shadows of the hallway, piercing eyes shining through the night. "He stole her from me."

Doku frowned before smiling slowly, "That wasn't part of the deal."

The Kazekage narrowed his eyes before chuckling, "I guess not. Lower your weapons." He then ordered the guards, who did so and took a step back. Doku gave a smug grin, lowering his arms back down.

"Sorry, Kazekage-sama; you're just going to have to do without."

"I suppose so." The Kazekage replied before turning. Calmly, he walked away, but not before waving a hand back to the guards. "Kill him."

Doku had no time to react when both of the guards slammed their kunai knives into his stomach. After, however, he forced out a laugh, in which a thin line of blood spilled down to the corner of his mouth.

"S-Sorry to disappoint you..._**Kazekage-sama**__."_

**//+//**

"You lied to me."

"Usaka-san, I'm sorry! I didn't mean too!"

Usaka's eyes flashed as he swiftly swept all of the materials that had been arranged on the desk off in one clean sweep. "_Why?_ Why didn't you tell me?!!"

Taji shrank back against the wall of the white room, watching in horror as the glass vials fell to the ground, breaking. Multifarious colored liquids spilled onto the tile, tainting it. "Usaka-san! Stop, please!"

"All this time...She's only been getting worse! _You were on his side!_" Usaka wildly accused as he kicked the desk, causing it to topple to the ground.

"I'm sorry! But you don't understand; he was going to **kill** me!" Taji exclaimed, yelping when Usaka proceeded to rip apart the white laboratory.

"So?!! You _betrayed_ me! You betrayed _Yume_-"

"_**What would you have done?!**_ I was being threatened with my **life**!" Taji screamed, face flushed and fists clenched. This, however, only seemed to enrage Usaka more.

"**I would have died rather than betray her!** You selfish bastard!"

And with that as his closing statement, Usaka turned away, quivering with anger. Slowly, wires began to crawl from his back, sliding over to Taji, who froze in fear.

"U-Usaka-san!" Taji fumbled out when the wires made their way to his legs. They wrapped themselves around his skin, and painfully began to tear at it. "**USAKA!**"

**//+//**

_"Yay! We made it to the base!"_

Usaka looked around the underground cave; he could carve out more rooms, make furniture with the Sensoujuu, and he could easily sneak out and get food.

They would never have to face the world's cruelty again.

"Usaka-Niisan, is she a doll?" Usaka blinked before smiling and setting the woven basket down on the earthen ground, letting Yukio peek inside.

Inside was an infant, fast asleep, and draped in a purple cloth.

"No, Yukio, she's our sister."

"...Sister? What's her name?"

Usaka blinked; he knew of no name.

Still, he smiled and lifted the infant out of the basket and into his arms before sitting against one of the cave's walls, Yukio crawling next to him. Usaka stared down at the face of the infant. He could understand why Yukio thought she was a doll; her face seemed so serene, a ceramic doll it's only comparison.

"Usaka-Niisan?"

"Hm?"

"What's her name?"

"Oh." He had forgotten. "Her name is..."

'_**I want to get as far away from this place as possible...That's my dream; to get us far, far away.**__' He blinked before smiling. '__**Dream...**__'_

"Her name is Yume. Okino Yume."

**//+//**

The bottom of the dome was lined with wires.

She continued to float aimlessly, eyes closed and her mouth covered with the mask. The cool water helped to relax her muscles, to make it easier for broken tissue to be repaired.

"She doesn't look any better."

"She is, Zai; more than you know."

Zai ran a hand through his light blue hair that covered the left side of his face. He was staring up at the dome again; it had already been a week. "She's going to be mad." He mumbled, and Koji glanced over at him; his head protector remained over his eyes.

"Why do you say that?"

Zai scowled, eyes narrowed before turning away, "She missed **Mr. Sandman's** fight."

**//+//**

_"Usaka-Niisan!"_

Usaka burst into the room, short of breath and his face covered in dirt. "What? What happened?"

Yukio smiled and turned around, holding his nose. "Yume-chan smells again!"

Usaka sighed before giving a tired smile, wiping at his face. "I'll take care of it; why don't you set the table?"

"Hai!"

Yukio ran out of the room and looked around the kitchen that was in the state of being carved out. After a moment, he spotted the woven basket and hopped over to it, reaching inside to take out three chipped plates. Humming, he turned to the table, which was crudely constructed of wire, and set the plates down like they were made of fine china.

Next was the silverware.

Yukio swallowed before holding out his hand, eyes closed in concentration. Giving a small whimper, thin wires began to grow from his fingertips. After they were about five inches long, they fell to the ground. Panting, he picked the four chopsticks up and set them on the table.

"Niisan! Table's set!"

"I'll make some chairs. Yukio, the food's in the basket." Usaka instructed as he came out of the side room, which was serving as a bedroom for all three. A one-year-old girl was atop his shoulders, playing with his long, light purple hair.

Usaka carefully plucked her off of his shoulders and placed her on the ground, were she stumbled before standing up shakily.

He then raised his hands and moved them in swift motions; elegantly, wires spiraled from the earthen ground and weaved together to make two stools and a highchair. While this was being done, Yukio was setting the meal on the table.

"Let's eat!"  
Four rice balls, and rice in a bowl looked very appetizing as Yukio scrambled into his seat. He reached for the rice ball, but a wire from the table lightly slapped the top of his hand, causing him to scowl but take his hand away.

Usaka chuckled before setting Yume down in the highchair and giving her the bowl of rice. Then, after looking at his two younger siblings, he finally sat down and took the chopsticks into his hand, raising them slightly in the air. He then cleared his throat before grinning.

"_**Itadakimasu!**__"_

**//+//**

Yukio was leaning against a tree, idly twirling one side of his Kamas around in a wide circle, watching as the blade swung back and forth.

It seemed to hypnotize him.

"Orochimaru-sama..."

_"There's a girl I'm mildly interested in."_

"Yes?"

"Murabashi Kaya; find her and bring her to me."

"Oh. O-Okay!"

He exited the room quickly, aiming to please. The other speaker, however, chuckled lowly. "Yukio-kun...Just another pawn, another game."

"Keij! Wait!"

Yukio blinked, the Kamas slowing to a stop. A boy was standing a couple feet away, looking over his shoulder with gray eyes.

"Kaya, stop following me."

Yukio's eyebrows arched before grinning and slipping behind the tree he had been leaning against. Sure enough, a fourteen-year-old girl came jogging into view, breathing heavily.

"I'm not! You just walk too fast!" The girl, Kaya, accused before wincing; her leg was still bandaged up. Keij raised an eyebrow at her before sighing.

"Stubborn..." He grumbled before turning his back to her and squatting down a little. Kaya smiled before lying on his back.

"Thanks."

"Hn. Where's your house?"

"That way!"

Yukio watched as the two walked towards the sunset, his hand holding onto his Kamas loosely. He raised them, prepared to attack, but after a moment lowered them again with a defeated smile.

'_I must have let them slip by._'

He chuckled before slipping the Kamas into the belt that was slanted on his waist before walking in the opposite direction. '_Yume wouldn't want me to interfere with her mission anyways._'

**//+//**

Taji lay on his side, his face against the cool tile of the sterile laboratory. Desks were upturned, and chemicals lay in puddles around the room.

Research was destroyed, along with a young man's sense of self.

He blinked, eyes bloodshot, before pushing himself up into a sitting position. His body ached, and he couldn't feel his legs. The circulation had been cut off for at least five minutes; surely, he would have to amputate them.

However, when he touched the wires that were tightly around his legs, they easily recoiled, allowing blood to rush to his slowly dying cells. He watched in a daze as the wires crawled to the door before burying underneath it.

Swallowing was a difficult task, for his throat was swollen and red, but he did so anyways. Gingerly, he touched his neck, but winced; it was heavily bruised and scratched.

Weakly, he stood up, using the wall for support. He glanced around the destroyed room and lowered his eyes to the ground.

A clipboard stared back at him.

**Subject has been erased of emotions.**

Subject has shown increase of endurance and strength.

Subject has shown high increase of speed.****

**Subject is becoming unstable.******

**Subject has been stabilized.**

Subject is back to normal; the emotion anger has returned.****

**Subject lost the emotion of desire.******

**Subject regained the emotion of sadness.**

Subject regained the feeling of physical pain.****

**Subject lost all of the following emotions: happiness, emotional pain, passion, and fear.**

Subject has not shown any progress.

Subject is beginning to retrogress.

Subject is losing appetite.

Subject is becoming more indifferent by day.

Subject is required to be in a stable environment more frequently.

Taji blinked rapidly before sliding back down to the ground and burying his head in his hands.

'_What have I done?_'


	15. Nightmares

_Six years wasn't a long time._

The cave had been carved out so that there were four main rooms; two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. One bedroom held two futons and a few toys scattered on the ground, which was covered by a thin blanket. The other bedroom held one futon, a dresser, and a chair. Normally, a bag would be in this chair, but today, it was gone.

"Usaka-Niisan? Where are you going?"

Usaka, fifteen, blinked before placing bandages into the large bag on the kitchen table. "Yukio, go to sleep."

"I want to come, too!"

"You can't...You have to take care of Yume."

A six-year-old Yume peeked from around the corner of her room, watching as her eight and fifteen-year-old half-brothers argued.

"Why? Where are you going? You're not going with Orochimaru-sama, are you?"

Usaka sighed before ruffling Yukio's hair, "No, a different man: Samuru-sama. I'll be back; I just...I just need to straighten our lives out."

"But, Usaka-Niisan, we're happy, even without a mom and dad!" Usaka looked up and his face softened when Yume walked into the room, holding a limp, stuffed Dalmatian dog in her right hand. "Our lives are straight!"

"Yume...Yukio...Please, just be strong for a little while; I promise I'll be back." Usaka reassured before reaching into his backpack, pulling a small leather sack out. He dropped it into Yukio's hands, smiling. "This is food money; it should last for a couple months. I'll be back by then, okay?"

Yukio's face was crestfallen as he stared at the small sack of money. Yume, however, smiled and threw her arms around Usaka's middle, embracing him and her stuffed dog tightly. "Okay. I'll take care of Yukio-kun."

Usaka chuckled before pulling away from her embrace and looking back down at Yukio, who peeked up at the older brother through long, light-purple bangs. "...Promise you'll come back?"

The older brother smiled before adjusting the bag on his back, "I promise."

**//+//**

Gaara stared at the wall, sitting in the center of the floor. The door was closed, and the window behind him showed a bright, sunny day.

The Hokage had given the Genin that passed the preliminary matches a month to prepare for the main matches. Days had already crawled by.

The wall stared back at him. It was becoming boring quickly.

_"Mr. Sandman!"_

He blinked before frowning slightly.

_"How did you sleep, Mr. Sandman?"_

Scowling, he stood up and turned away from the wall. He looked around before walking to the door and quietly opening it.

She had just disappeared after the match. What he would do to listen to a smart remark, or for someone to look at him like she did. '_Without fear._'

What would make her appear again? She always seemed to appear out of nowhere when he was about to do something drastic...

As he walked out of the inn, the sun beating at his neck, his head began to ache. His thoughts were consumed by mixtures of green and purple. In a matter of seconds, he found himself in front of the hospital. Blinking, he looked up before entering; he'd hit two birds with the same stone.

**//+//**

_One year, however, was a __**very**__ long time._

"He promised...He promised..."

"Yukio-kun...? What are you doing?"

A nine-year-old Yukio looked down at the seven-year-old. "Go to sleep, Yume-chan."

"...Are those dirty? I'll wash them," Yume said, motioning to the clothes that Yukio was stuffing into a bag. He just blinked before looking away and resuming the stuffing of the bag.

"Yukio-kun...?"

"I'm leaving."

Yume stared at him for a long moment before averting her eyes, "You're leaving me, too?"

"I have to. Usaka-Niisan broke his promise."

Yume's eyes widened before she shook her head vigorously, "No! He said he'd be gone for a couple of months! Maybe...Maybe he got lost!"

Yukio averted his eyes to the ground before throwing the bag over his shoulder, "It's been a _**year**__, Yume-chan."_

"...But-"

"I'm sorry; I have to do this. I'll find Usaka-Niisan and bring him home, okay?" Yukio reassured, placing a hand on Yume's pate comfortingly. She, however, was not comforted.

"...You're not happy with just me, are you?"

"Yume-chan, that's not...I don't..." Yukio struggled for the right words, but the damage was already done. Yume sniffled before hugging the Dalmatian closer to her.

"Fine! I don't need you! _**I don't need anyone!**__" She then ran out of the room, out of the underground sanctuary, and out of the Hidden Sand Village. Every few minutes, she would look over her shoulder, to see if Yukio was chasing after her. To see if he wanted to apologize, to say that he would stay and wait for Usaka with her._

He wasn't running after her.

**//+//**

"What are you doing, Zai?"

Zai froze before chuckling and turning around, Koji staring darkly at him behind the Suna head protector. "Must have gone into the wrong room."

"Why are you in **her** room?" Koji asked coolly, ignoring Zai's excuse. Zai's face immediately sobered and he frowned.

"None of your business."

Koji's lips were pressed into a thin line before his head turned toward the futon. The bed was made, and the pillow set neatly. He stared at it for a moment before jerking his head back to Zai. "Where is it?"

Zai blinked blankly, hands behind his back, "What?"

Koji swiftly slid behind Zai and grabbed his wrists, yanking a ripped red ribbon from his grasp. Zai gasped in surprise before he was pushed to the wall roughly. Scowling, he turned to face Koji, who was now holding onto the ribbon securely.

"I found it." Zai said, relaxing. Koji's brow furrowed, the grip on the ribbon tightening.

"Why?" Zai blinked in surprise before looking away.

"It's ripped...I was going to fix it for her..." He replied quietly, bright blue eyes glued to the ground. Koji's face relaxed before he sighed, throwing the ribbon back onto the futon.

"Your dreams are taking over your thoughts." Koji stated lowly, stepping up to Zai, towering an inch above him. "So stop."

Zai glared at Koji, fists clenched. "...You don't understand."

"I don't have to, nor do I want to," Koji said coolly, stepping back, "All I know is that your dreams are **pointless**. Focus on something **more**."

Zai growled before pushing Koji roughly and sprinting out of the room and down the hallway, leaving Koji to stare at the wall.

Sighing, he touched the Suna head protector over his eyes. '_He's so emotionally __**weak**__._'

**//+//**

_Another year crawled by slowly. Too slowly._

"Thank you."

"That's quite an expensive meal; is this your last?" The man behind the counter joked, handing the eight-year-old girl a bag. She looked up at him solemnly, hugging the bag to her chest. 

_"...Maybe." She mumbled, catching the man off guard. _

_"What? What are you talking about?" _

_The girl had already exited the building, however, back out into Suna. The sand from the roads kicked up behind her as she ran, clutching the meal to her. It was almost sundown; she didn't want to eat in the dark._

Finally, she made it to the end of the street, looking both ways before pushing a boulder away, revealing a slanted hole. Quickly, she scrambled down it, pulling the rock back over the entrance behind her.

"This is the best meal ever. Usaka-Niisan isn't here to tell me what I can't eat, and Yukio-kun won't steal food from my plate." She said cheerfully, placing the bag down on the table that had been constructed from wire. The underground house was slowly beginning to crumble away. The earth was growing old, and the air musty.

She was leaving soon.

"Yum! Daifuku, rice balls, and pocky! And no brothers to bug me." She added, lying to herself as she emptied the contents of the bag onto the table. Smiling, she unwrapped a rice ball, and sunk her teeth into it. Inside was red jam, but suddenly, the rice ball began to taste very soggy.

She pulled the treat away and blinked when she felt something damp fall down her cheeks. So, she was crying.

"...Yum...This is really good." She continued, her voice cracking as she took another bite. She squeezed her eyes shut, sniffling as she chewed and swallowed. "Good thing Usaka-Niisan and Yukio-kun aren't here; they wouldn't let me..."

She didn't finish. Instead, she gave a scream before throwing the rice ball at one of the earthen walls. Her face was in her hands, leaking tears, so she wasn't able to watch as the rice ball slowly slid down the wall, the red jam oozing out onto the floor.

**//+//**

"What happens now?" Samuru paused in his reading of Koji and Zai's report to look up at Taji. Samuru's eyebrows were raised when he saw the state that the scientist was in.

"What happened to you?" Taji shifted uncomfortably.

"I fell."

Samuru stared before shaking his head, "If you say so."

"Samuru-sama...What happens to Yume now?" Taji pressed on quietly, and Samuru frowned.

"More tests, experiments...Maybe a few more undercover missions if she's lucky." He replied idly, returning to the report. Taji swallowed painfully.

"I was thinking...Maybe, if we found a cure, we could...Let her go?" Taji suggested timidly, flinching when Samuru's eyes stopped on the paper. Slowly, his eyes moved up to Taji, and the young man seemed to shrink.

"Who gave you these ridiculous ideas?" Samuru asked lowly, and Taji looked away. Samuru frowned before noticing the small cuts on Taji's neck. He growled, "Usaka's poisoned your mind."

"No, he has nothing to do with this!" Taji assured, covering his neck with a hand. Samuru just looked back to the report.

"Do as you wish; just remember that **ink** can run thicker than **blood**."

**//+//**

_The building was tall, and the sandy ground seemed so far away. She stood atop the roof, staring down._

"Yukio-kun left...Usaka-Niisan isn't coming back..." She mumbled, cheeks stained with tears. "I'm a bad sister. I'm _**worthless**__..."_

She closed her eyes and swallowed before letting herself fall forward, over the edge. The air rushed up behind her, and the coolness soothed her; soon, she would slip into unconsciousness. She wouldn't have to feel a thing.

After falling only ten feet, however, she felt something warm wrap itself around her and she quickly opened her eyes. She was staring into a smiling face. "Silly girl."

The smile wasn't real, she could tell.

Suddenly, she was pressed against a chest before being pushed forward. Awkwardly, she looked over her shoulder and stared.

The man was somewhat handsome, in his early thirties with dark blue hair and eyes. He had a lean build, but she sensed something behind that. Power, maybe?

What she noticed the most, however, was his face. It was so calm, like all of his emotions were pressed deeply into the center of his chest, never to be revealed to the world. She blinked blankly as they landed on the ground before stepping away a bit.

She wanted his calmness, his stability.

"Okino Yume, correct?" He asked nicely, and she immediately nodded. He smiled again before offering her a hand, "My name is Samuru. Your brother said I would find you here."

"Usaka-Niisan? Where is he?!" Yume asked quickly, eyes shining as she beamed. Samuru chuckled.

"He's back at my headquarters. Come; I have things to converse with you after you rest and visit." Yume stared at his hand quietly. Her eight-year-old instincts told her to run, that he was a stranger. However, something made her grab his hand and allow him to lead her out of Suna.

Was it the promise of seeing Usaka or the sense of stability and power that made her follow?

She doubted she would ever know.

**//+//**

Her legs twitched slightly in the water.

Zai stared at the glass dome blankly, face devoid of emotion. '_It's not fair._' Footsteps echoed off of the marble floor, and he looked over his shoulder, only to avert his eyes back to the glass dome.

Quietly, Koji stepped up next to him and stared at the dome as well. "...She'll be awake soon." He stated clearly, and Zai nodded.

"...I wonder what she's dreaming of..." Zai pondered out loud, tone dreamy and out of place. Koji turned his head toward Zai before sighing. He didn't say anything, however, and looked back to the dome.

Her legs twitched again, and he noticed that her toes were moving. Koji sighed as her brow furrowed unconsciously, "A nightmare."

**//+//**

_She stared at herself in the mirror of a nice, crimson colored room. It was decorated with velvet, and there was even a nice window to look out of._

She didn't ponder on how a window underground could show a night sky, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

Her back still stung, but through the tears she was smiling. A red ribbon had her hair pulled back into a low ponytail that she moved over her shoulder as she turned around, exposing her bare back to the mirror.

The glass reflected a tattoo of dove with its talons in chains.

"Yume?"

"Usaka-Niisan!" Yume beamed as she clung herself to a sixteen-year-old Usaka, who looked down at her in sheer surprise.

"...What's that on your back?" He questioned, and she looked up at him with another smile.

"Samuru-sama said it's a mark that you have, too! He said it'll keep us together." She explained, turning around so Usaka could see her bare back and the contemptuous tattoo.

"...I see. He did it without me." Usaka mumbled before sighing and sitting down on the edge of a very nice bed. Yume sat down next to him and felt the sheets with her fingers; they were made of satin.

"This place is so nice and cozy. It's just like home, but better!" She added, grabbing one of the plush pillows. Usaka suddenly looked at her, his face twisted from anger and disdain.

"_**Never**__ say that again." He demanded lowly, causing Yume to blink before shrinking away from him._

"What did I say...?"

"Yume, listen to me," Usaka ordered before kneeling in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders, "I want you to _**hate**__ this place, okay? Hate this place with your __**entire**__ being."_

"But--"

"You'll understand when you're older. You'll understand why...But _**promise**__ me that you'll hate it here. __**Promise me!**__" Usaka added fiercely, shaking Yume a little when she looked away._

"I _**promise**__! Stop...It hurts..." Yume added weakly after her yell, pushing away from Usaka and crawling further away from him on the bed. Usaka saw this and sighed before averting his eyes._

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" He asked quietly, and Yume nodded, clutching at her chest.

"It hurts here...So much." She whispered, blinking furiously. His eyes widened before smiling softly. Hesitating, he pulled her towards him and embraced her. He decided against speaking, and she didn't say a word.

It hurt too much to talk.

**//+//**

_**A year slipped by.**___

She was reading a report on a girl named Murabashi Kaya when she heard people talking. Quietly, she stopped her walking through the earthen hallways and slid behind into a random room, sliding the door almost completely shut. Looking around the room, she found that it was empty and that it was very plain. It was nothing like her lush, velvet-covered room.

"So, what do you think of this Murabashi girl that Samuru-sama is so smitten with?"

She blinked before looking down at the file that she was reading.

"The girl that the Okino kid is supposed to watch?"

Her eyes widened.

"Yeah. _**I**__ heard that Samuru-sama is using the Okino to get to __**her**__."_

"_**Really?**__ The blues will __**love**__ chatting about that; you know how they gossip."_

Two women laughed richly while she pressed her back against the wall, staring at the opposite one blankly.

"Well, what _**else**__ is the Okino good for? If she can reel in Murabashi, then great."_

"I know. _**She's so much better than her; I don't know why Samuru-sama keeps her around.**__"_

"He'll probably just _**throw her out**__ once he's done; the other one obviously has more potential, with her mind being...__**Normal**__ and all."_

She sank down to the ground, the report falling down with her.

"So true. _**Yume's nothing compared to her.**__"_

**//+//**

_**Several years crept by.**___

"Ready Yume?" She blinked before smirking, cracking her knuckles.

"Let's go find this _**Murabashi**__ everyone's so interested in." She said slyly, looking over at the horizon of the desert that they would begin crossing today. Zai glanced over at Koji, who merely shrugged._

"Ladies first," He mumbled, and Yume laughed lightly before walking ahead, Koji and Zai trailing behind.

Zai couldn't help but look over at Koji with a worried glance, "Is she okay?"

Koji sighed, straightening the cloak he wore over his jacket for the journey, "No, she's not."

**//+//**

Her eyes opened suddenly, just as the glass broke.

Water sloshed out of the dome, which was now broken in half from the top. A few strands of wires flowed out of the bottom of the dome with the water as she stood carefully on the glass, her knees a little weak. Easily, she ripped the oxygen mask off of her face and let it fall to the water that had covered most of the marble floors. Coughing slightly, she stepped out of the dome and into a puddle, her bare feet warm against the cool water.

"Yume, you're awake!"

Yume blinked before slowly turning her head towards the staircase, where an awe-stricken Zai stood. She smiled faintly before raising her hand and stumbling to the ground. "**Yume!**"

Zai quickly sprinted over to her, looking at her up and down before lifting her up in his arms. "You're freezing, and you haven't eaten. Come on; I'll take care of you."

Yume squirmed in his arms before putting a hand to his chest. "Zai...?" He smiled, looking down at her. She blinked at him.

"...Arigato."


	16. Eyes

He didn't understand. After what he had done at the hospital, after spilling his life to two strangers, she still didn't appear.

How drastic must he be for her to show her face again? There were only two more weeks until the main matches, until the plan took place. After that, he was sure he would never see her again.

Not that he wanted to. Her smart remarks were annoying, her mysterious aura was frustrating, and her fearless attitude was cocky. Then again, he was so unaccustomed to these features that they actually sounded intriguing...

'_No. She's like Yashamaru all over again..._'

He stared at the night sky, a lonely cup of tea in his hands. His grip on the cup tightened before relaxing, a sigh escaping parted lips. '_No matter. She's like everyone else; I'll never see her again._'

**//+//**

"...You seem happy."

Zai blinked before looking over his shoulder and grinning, "Yo." Koji shook his head before reaching over the counter in the underground cafeteria, plucking an apple from a basket.

"...I'm glad to see you like this..." He mumbled before biting into the apple, causing Zai to blink blankly. For a moment, Zai just watched as Koji chewed and swallowed. Then, the blue-haired shinobi grinned and grabbed the apple from the blinded one, taking a bite.

"You suck at apologies." Zai joked before throwing the apple back to a mildly angered Koji, who caught it in one hand.

"Shut up and accept it." Koji stated lowly before going back to the apple, Zai's grin spreading wider.

"Yeah, yeah...So, what do we do now?" Zai questioned, sobering up. Koji paused in chewing before swallowing and throwing the apple over his shoulder, it landing neatly in a trash bin.

"Whatever Yume wants to do. It **is** her mission, technically..." Koji added, but Zai's grin faltered before turning into a full frown.

"...What's the point? We both know what she'll want to do..." Zai said quietly, his happy demeanor dissolving into depression. Silently, he pushed away from the counter and walked out of the cafeteria, leaving Koji to watch his back quietly.

Koji sighed and leaned against the counter, head bent. Brown hair shrouded the sides of his face, and his Suna head protector hid his eyes as usual. '_Why...Why do I feel sad?_'

**//+//**

Yume stared at the ceiling of her plain room. She never before wondered why she had been switched from her luxurious room to this plain one. Now, the memories fresh in her mind, she remembered why.

That room was going to be used for **Murabashi Kaya**.

'_She's not so special. I beat her, didn't I? Shows how much Samuru knows..._' Yume thought begrudgingly as she rolled onto her side, the futon hard underneath her. Subconsciously, her hand traveled to the ends of her hair, and she idly searched for split ends. One, two, three...

Was this why Murabashi was so important? She didn't have split ends? No, that would be ridiculous...

'_Samuru would never tell me...Who would?_' Yume rolled onto her back again, hands folded over her stomach. It didn't grumble from starvation anymore, thanks to Zai. He had been taking care of her for the past two days, and with his help she had returned back to normal.

'_As normal as I can get..._' Yume reminded herself with a frown before sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of the futon. '_I'll figure this out if it kills me._'

**//+//**

Taji stared, eyes bloodshot, at the liquid. It looked just like water; it even had the same properties.

But he knew it wasn't, and when he looked up at a towering Usaka, he gave a feeble smile. "I can work with this."

Usaka's eyes were hard as he stared down at Taji, "You better. Now, where is she?" Taji blinked before rubbing at his eyes, not having slept in two nights.

"She should be in her room...It is close to midnight." Usaka didn't thank him; he just exited the laboratory and walked swiftly down the earthen hallway.

"Yo, Usaka-san! What are you-"

Usaka ignored a surprised Zai and pushed past him, eyes focused forward. '_He could be watching every movement...We must work fast._'

He paused at her door. It was made of metal and a black 'X' was painted on it. Eyes narrowed, he slid the door open and stepped inside. "Yume?"

She wasn't inside.

**//+//**

Koji walked quietly down the earthen hallways of Samuru's hideout, keeping his face forward and refusing to make eye contact with any of the men that he happened to pass.

Eye contact meant a fight, and he wasn't in the mood to explain injured shinobi to Samuru.

However, because he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, he was pulled into a side room roughly by the sleeve of his jacket. Before he could get a kunai out of his pouch, he was slammed up against the wall as the metal door slid shut.

"...Must you be so rash, Yume?"

Yume grinned before removing her arm from Koji's neck, allowing him to step away from the earthen wall. The room she had pulled him into was long and dark. It looked like a completely separate hallway. "Sorry, but I need your help."

Koji's eyebrows immediately arched; Yume never asked for help. "...For what?" Yume grinned and looked down the room, where a lone candlestick protruded from the wall. Silently, she walked over to it, pulled the candle out of its holder, and Koji's lips pressed into a thin line as the wall disappeared to reveal a large, circular room.

This room was obviously a library of some sort. Bookcases towered above the two, and file cabinets were placed in-between each once. "...What are you looking for?" Koji asked grimly as he stepped into the room behind Yume, who lit the other candles in the room with hers to create a dim, orange glow. Yume then looked over her shoulder, still holding the candle close to her face.

"**Murabashi Kaya**."

**//+//**

In Konoha, a sneeze echoed throughout the training fields. Yoshiko Zane looked over his shoulder, pausing in his task of picking up scattered weapons. "Bless you!"

Murabashi Kaya blushed slightly before rubbing her nose. "Thanks. Someone must be talking about me." Kurogawi Keij raised a tired eyebrow.

"Why would people talk about you?" Kaya scowled, putting her hands on her hips.

"What exactly are you saying?" Keij blinked before rolling his eyes at her and idly throwing a kunai in her direction. She caught it around her pinky, still scowling. "Are you saying people wouldn't talk about me?"

"Shut up and let me walk you home." Keij grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets; it was too late for these little arguments they always have. Kaya huffed, but turned on her heel and stomped off in the direction of her home.

"Good night, Zane." She grumbled, and Zane laughed before waving. Keij sighed before following after her, smirking when she sneezed again.

'_Wonder who's talking about her..._'

**//+//**

Zai blinked when he saw that Yume's door was open. "Yume?" He peeked inside, only to find that the room was empty. Frowning, he stepped inside the room and glanced around.

Nothing in the room was suspicious, but everything peaked his curiosity. Unable to control himself, Zai tilted his head as he stared at the pillow that had been thrown to the ground. Carefully, he picked it up, and blinked in surprise when he saw the corner of a paper sticking out from the cover. Curious, he pulled the paper out, throwing the pillow back onto the futon. He scanned the paper before plopping down onto the futon, face pale.

The paper was double-sided. On one side was a report on Murabashi Kaya. On the other...

Zai desolately flipped the paper over, and a picture glared up at him.

The other side was a report on Sabaku no Gaara.

**//+//**

The drawers of multiple file cabinets had been forced open, and useless files had been thrown to the ground.

"How many 'M' drawers can there be?" Yume growled to herself as she picked the lock of the fifth one, the wire sliding back into her fingertip when it opened. Koji awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, moving his head around.

"...How can I help?" He asked quietly, and Yume paused before looking over her shoulder.

"Look through the 'K' files; maybe he sorts by first name." She added before going back to the drawer, leaving Koji to scratch his cheek.

Hesitantly, he moved to a random file cabinet, tracing it with his fingertips. He relaxed slightly when he realized that this was 'K' and quietly ripped a drawer open. He rummaged through the multiple files, frowning. "Yume."

Yume grabbed a file marked 'Mura' before turning around, "Yeah? Find it?"

Koji looked over at her solemnly, shaking his head. "I can't help you."

**//+//**

Zai ducked underneath a table in the cafeteria when he heard someone walk in. Silently, he pressed himself down to the tile and peered out from under the table.

"I don't understand, where could she be?"

"How are you helping by just following me around?"

It was Taji and Usaka.

Taji blinked before shrinking back, "I'm sorry." Usaka glared over at him before sighing.

"Just go and search the east wing. I'll search the west." Usaka ordered before walking swiftly out of the cafeteria, Taji swallowing before exiting in the opposite direction. Zai watched Taji leave before sighing and sliding out from underneath the table.

He knew that Yume wouldn't be in either the east nor west wing. He also knew that she wouldn't be in the north wing, for it was close to Samuru's office.

So, he knew that she would be in the south wing, and as fate would have it, that was his destination.

**//+//**

Yume stared openly at Koji, blinking. "Why not?" Koji looked away before touching the Suna head protector that shielded his eyes. He didn't say anything, but Yume understood. "...It's okay to take it off, you know."

Koji frowned, tracing the Suna mark that was engraved in the metal plate. "...It's been a while...Since I've seen anything." Yume smiled faintly before stepping up to him, setting the file onto the lone table in the middle of the room. She hesitated before touching the head protector on Koji's face.

"The world isn't as ugly as you think." She said lightly, but this caused Koji to jerk away.

"Please, stop. I hate it when you act like this." He whispered lowly, and Yume's smile faded.

"Act like what?"

"Like everything's okay. Like you don't know what's wrong with you and the world." She frowned at his statements.

"So what if something's wrong with me or the world? Perfection is overrated. I know my faults, I know what I can and cannot feel. This is **my** way of coping." Yume paused before walking up to Koji again and poking his head protector with a scowl. "You don't have problems like mine, and **you** are afraid to view the world? Coward."

Koji frowned at her, "I am no coward."

"Then show me." Koji tensed, but swallowed. Hesitating, he reached behind his head and felt the knot of the head protector. Yume saw how his hands shook, and was faintly surprised.

"...Will you judge me?" Her surprise reached its peak at his out-of-character question.

"Of course not."

Even so, Koji turned his back to her as he undid the knot. Slowly, the head protector fell around his neck as Yume stared at the back of his head. She watched as his head turned to soak in every detail of the small, dimly lit room and to grow accustomed to the light. She watched the back of his head for another moment before sitting atop the table and grabbing the "Mura" file.

"Take your time." She said idly before opening the file. Inside was a clipped photograph of a small bridge. Judging by the snow, the picture had been taken in the winter. She was just beginning to read the description with a furrowed brow when she felt a rough hand touch her cheek.

Slowly, Yume looked up from the file, only for her eyes to widen. Staring back at her was the second most beautiful eye she had ever seen, the other concealed by warm, brown locks of hair. The eye color was a dazzling green, and the face that had been concealed was handsome, to be an understatement.

"...Yume?" She blinked before smiling, allowing his hand to remain on her cheek.

"Sorry I have to be the first person you see, Koji."

Koji blinked slowly before the corners of his lips twitched, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

**//+//**

Zai ran down the south wing, looking over his shoulder every once in a while. Silently, he slid into a room whose door was creaked open. Looking around the long, narrow room, he smiled; it was the right one.

Easily, he plucked the candle out of its holder that protruded from the back wall. This action caused the wall to disappear, an easy genjutsu. What Zai saw behind the wall, however, was no illusion.

"K-Koji?"

An almost unrecognizable Koji looked over at Zai in sheer surprise. Zai stared at him openly; Koji looked nothing like Zai had expected without his head protector. It wasn't until he stepped into the room with a grin that he realized where Koji's right hand was placed. Grin quickly fading, Zai stared solemnly at the hand that was still pressed against Yume's cheek. Koji noticed this and quickly pulled away, Yume moving away.

"Zai..." Koji's voice trailed off when Zai gave him an icy glare.

"Sorry to **interrupt**," Zai forced out through clenched teeth, holding his glare with Koji's solemn stare, "But Usaka is looking for you, Yume."

Yume blinked before sighing and setting the "Mura" file back onto the table. She was oblivious as to what had just happened. "Do you know why?"

"Whatever it is, it doesn't sound good. We should go into hiding until we figure out why." Zai suggested, finally tearing his glare away from Koji to set his eyes upon Yume. "We should head back to Suna."

Yume frowned before slipping off of the table and walking over to the "M" file cabinet. "Sorry, but I'm not going anywhere until I find what I'm looking for."

"You mean the Murabashi report?" Zai questioned, taking a sheet of paper out of his pocket. Both Koji and Yume stared at it with wide eyes.

"...How...?" Koji started, only to stop when Yume grabbed the paper out of Zai's hands.

"Where did you find this?" She demanded, scanning the front side of the paper. Zai flushed.

"It was under your pillow...I just saw the door open, so I was worried!" Zai added quickly when Yume raised an eyebrow at him. However, she smiled and stuffed the paper into her kunai pouch.

"I'm glad you were worried, then." Yume said lighlty with a smile, causing Zai to grin. "Come on, we're leaving." She then stated, beginning to walk out of the room. Koji watched her back with a frown.

"Where to?" He inquired quietly, only for Yume to pause and smile over her shoulder.

"The main matches are in two weeks; Konoha's sure to be a fun place to be right now."

**//+//**

Samuru watched the glass sphere silently as it reflected three people running out into the night with almost blinding speed. He frowned deeply, brow furrowed. However, all he did was pull out a drawer from his desk, reach inside, and after a few minutes if rummaging around, pulled out a piece of paper. He could just make out Okino Usaka's signature on the bottom, the contract was that old.

"I believe this is in direct violation...Usaka-san." Samuru said lowly before snapping his fingers; silently, the contract burst into flames, the fire reflecting off of Samuru's blank eyes.

**//+//**

Usaka froze.

"Usaka-san?" Taji tilted his head at Usaka's sudden stop. "Are you alright?" Usaka stared forward, pupils dilated. Suddenly, he whipped around, almost knocking Taji over.

"**Yume!**"


	17. Thank You

The sky was starless when the three decided to rest. No tiny lights of reassurance were out, and the moon was blocked by a heavy cloud so that no guiding moonlight could be given off. The sky was just an empty, black canvas tonight.

However, in a clearing in a forest, a flicker of light shone.

**//+//**

The fire was Yume's only light as she sat on a dry log nearby. The Murabashi report was on her lap, and she was staring at it, reading the diligent words that a researcher had put down.

_**Name:**__ Murabashi Kaya  
__**Sex:**__ Female  
__**DOB:**__ December 14  
__**Blood Type:**__ O  
__**Known Relatives:**__ see __**Kisho**_

She scowled; who was this "Kisho" person?

_**Village:**__ Hidden Waterfall/Hidden Leaf_

"Two villages?" Yume questioned aloud, only to quickly glance around at Koji and Zai. Both remained quietly asleep on the forest ground, their backs facing one another. Shaking her head, Yume looked back to the file.

_**Age:**__ 14  
__**Rank:**__ Genin  
__**Jounin Sensei:**__ Lyule Akion  
__**Team:**__ 23  
__**Teammates:**__ Kurogawi Keij, Yoshiko Zane_

'_I already know most of this. There should be more..._' Yume scanned down the paper, her eyes finally stopping at 'Background'.

_Served a middle-class family as a personal servant until the age of eight, when she was kicked out. Found on the __**Mura**__ bridge by Kisho (more information in Kisho file), who took her in and cared for her until she reached age eleven. Her connection with Kisho is her key quality._

Yume stared at the paper after reading, her brow furrowed. That was it? '_"Her connection with Kisho is her key quality"? What does that mean?_' She thought rationally before sighing. After a moment, she flipped the paper over, hoping for more information.

Although what was on the other side wasn't what she was looking it for, it made a small smile creep onto her lips.

Quietly, she folded the file neatly and slipped it back into her kunai pouch. She looked up at the black sky, head tilted. "Are you awake, Mr. Sandman?"

**//+//**

Gaara blinked before looking over his shoulder and up at the sky. Suddenly, an unknown feeling shot through his chest. The air left his lungs quickly as he grabbed at his chest, breathing heavily.

The feeling was gone after a moment, leaving him a little out of breath, confused, and somewhat frustrated. Silently, his hand still over his chest, he tilted his head back to view the endless, dark sky above him from his spot on a roof.

The Main Matches were in two days, as was the plan. Her face still hadn't appeared anywhere in the area. Wait, why was he thinking of that? No matter; in two days, he doubted that she would ever cross his mind again. Long and lonely minutes passed as he stared at the sky, his hand back to resting on his knee. Idly, it traveled back to his chest, and he wondered what the feeling had been.

_"Mr. Sandman..."_

His chest ached once more, and he placed a hand over his heart. He wondered if the feeling was sadness.

**//+//**

"...You already put the fire out?"

It was maybe four in the morning when Koji awoke to find that the warm fire had been covered with ashes. At his question, Yume nodded. "We'll leave soon. I'll go on ahead while you two grab water and follow." Koji blinked, his Suna head protector remaining at his neck since last night.

"Why are you going ahead?" He questioned, causing her to blink before smiling.

"You're very nosy Koji; did I ever tell you that?" He only sighed in response, shrugging.

"Be careful." Koji warned lightly, but Yume had already begun to run out of sight, in the direction of Konoha. Quietly, he turned to Zai, who was still sleeping on the ground. Gently, he prodded him in the back, "Wake up, Zai."

"...Five more minutes, Yume..." Zai mumbled, burying his head deeper into the grass, not realizing that Koji had frozen on the spot. Memories flashed through his head, and his eyes were lowered before stepping away from Zai.

"...I'm going to get water. Clean up while I'm gone." Koji said lowly, grabbing the two canteens that Yume had left behind. Hopefully, she had gotten her own water; it would take five hours to reach Konoha if she was going to conserve her chakra. Sighing, he walked off into the forest, going north. It didn't take long to get to the stream, which glistened in the early morning sun. Silently, he knelt in front of it and dipped the canteens in.

'_...How long has it been? Since we three met..._'

**//+//**

'**I remember...When Yume first came to Samuru.**'

_"Koji, wait, __**wait**__!" A nine-year-old Koji sighed before stopping, allowing Zai to catch up in the earthen hallway._

Koji's eyes were concealed by a black piece of cloth at the time. He looked over his shoulder with a blank expression. Zai was panting, his blue hair covering half of his face. Zai then punched Koji in the back roughly, "Don't give me that 'I don't care' look! That pisses me off!"

"Then walk faster. We've been training for two years, and you still aren't as fast as me." Koji said coolly, causing Zai to scowl.

"Shut up!"

"Wow, people like to argue in this place."

Blinking, Zai looked away from Koji only for his eyes to widen. A nine-year-old girl stood before the two with a smile. Her eyes were a red violet color, and her hair a light purple. It was only a matter of seconds before Zai was grinning shyly and rubbing the back of his head; this was his first encounter with a girl who wasn't ten years older.

"Oh, uh...Hi?" Zai greeted weakly with a laugh, but Koji looked at the girl with a frown.

"Who are you? I haven't seen your face around here."

The girl blinked before laughing lightly, "I'm new, that's why! I just came in two days ago."

"...And you're already a black-nin?" Zai asked in awe, noticing that she was wearing the same black shirt as he and Koji were. She blinked before looking down at her shirt.

"I guess. What's a black-nin?"

"That's the highest rank! You, me, and Koji here are the youngest black-nins!" Zai exclaimed, causing Koji to frown.

"How can you become a black-nin already? It's impossible." Koji stated lowly, causing the girl to blink before smiling.

"I guess not, since it happened. So...You're Koji?" The girl said, pointing to Koji, who nodded. She then turned to Zai, "And you're...?"

"Zai. And you are...?" She pointed to herself.

"Okino Yume. And as a fair warning, I can probably beat you at anything, so don't try."

'**I remember how she was before...Before her life was **_**ruined**_**.**'

**//+//**

Yume was sprinting down the trail easily, the Konoha gates already in sight. '_An hour, huh? Not bad..._'

"Pass, please." Yume blinked before smiling and reaching into her bag, pulling out the pass. The Jounin guard glanced at it before nodding, handing it back to her.

"Welcome to Konoha, Meyu of Sand." Her smile slowly faded before being replaced with a blank expression. Quietly, she took her pass back and walked through the gates.

'_That's right...Here, I'm Meyu.'_

**//+//**

Tomorrow was the Main Matches; he should be resting. Instead, he was walking aimlessly around Konoha, not stopping anywhere.

However, something made him stop. He looked to his right, and saw his reflection in the glass window of a bookstore. In the window, a pale boy stared back at him. The boy had dark circles under his eyes, so dark it looked like he was wearing make-up. On the right of the boy's forehead, the kanji for 'love' was tattooed.

He looked devoid of emotion.

Gaara glared at the reflection, watching as it copied his movements. '_...This is me, then..._'

"Mr. Sandman?" He blinked before closing his eyes; how embarrassing, for **her** to be in his thoughts. "**Mr. Sandman!**"

Actually, the voice sounded too real, too close. Silently, he looked to his left, only for his eyes to slightly widen.

She was a mere yard away from him, facing him. Her hair looked a little darker than before, and her skin a littler paler. Her clothes had also changed; her shorts were a navy blue and her shirt was now just a plain, sleeveless black tee-shirt. The shirt was also shorter than the one before.

But, no matter what appearance, there was she, standing beside him.

"Meyu." Gaara noticed that her smile faltered when he said her name. However, she smiled again and nodded.

"Yeah."

**//+//**

_"Here, you can have mine."_

A year had passed since Okino Yume had come into Koji and Zai's lives. What she had said before was painfully true to both boys; she could beat them at anything.

"Oh, arigato. Are you sure?" Yume asked Koji, who was transferring strawberries from his plate to hers.

"Yes. You like strawberries, correct?" He said lowly, and she sparkled.

"Hai! You're so kind, Koji-kun!" She exclaimed happily, setting her eyes on the strawberries that now decorated her plate. On the other side of her, Zai scowled before scrapping his strawberries onto hers as well.

"Here, have mine, too. You'll enjoy them more than me, anyway." Zai stated, and Yume gasped before laughing.

"Everyone's being so nice to me today! It's like I'm about to die or something!" She joked before delicately popping a strawberry into her mouth, not noticing how both of the boys froze. Zai's fists were clenched on top of the table, while Koji kept his head bent low.

"Yume..." Zai started, looking over at her, something in his eyes. "I..." Koji looked over at Zai, his lips set into a thin line. He wanted his friend to say it; Koji wanted Zai to express himself before Yume had to...

"Yume-chan?" Zai froze again before slowly looking up to see Okino Usaka, towering over them quietly. Yume blinked before looking up at smiling.

"Ah, Usaka-Niisan! Is it time for my meeting with Samuru-sama?" Koji could sense Yume's innocence that opposed to Usaka's guilt. She had no idea what was going to happen, while everyone in the room did.

Why didn't he speak out? Why didn't he scream for her to stay? As Koji glanced over at Zai, he could tell that the blue-eyed boy was thinking the exact same thing.

"Yes, but first...Do you remember what we spoke about when you first came here?" Usaka asked quietly, and Yume blinked before lowering her eyes and nodding.

"Hai...I do."

"Good. I'll be waiting in the hallway so you can say...Goodbye." Usaka added somberly before walking away. Yume watched him curiously before turning back to Koji and Zai.

"Weird! I'll be seeing you guys later, anyway." She said, popping another strawberry into her mouth. Zai stared at her, words unable to come out of his throat while Koji watched. Desperately, Koji wanted Zai to say something to her, anything. So why didn't he?

"Yume...I have to tell you something." Zai said slowly, trying to take as much time as possible. Yume, however, sighed and stood up, looking over at the cafeteria exit.

"Sorry, Zai-kun, it'll have to wait; Samuru and Usaka are waiting."

"But-"

"Don't worry, you can tell me later!" Yume assured before smiling. Zai blinked before looking down at his plate.

"...But I-"

"Later!" And she was gone, leaving Zai and Koji alone at the table. Quietly, Koji glanced over at the other. Zai looked up at him and smiled weakly.

"Sorry, Koji. I couldn't say it." Koji didn't say anything for a while. Finally, he spoke lowly.

"...Now you never will be able to." He replied reluctantly, Zai tensing before smiling sadly at the plate of strawberries.

"But I'll still love her."

'**I remember how Zai couldn't express his feelings...How I wanted him too, so he could tell her at least once. I remember how that was the last day of our true friendship; nothing would ever be the same. We would laugh, we would play, but deep down...Both Zai and I knew that she was faking **_**every single smile**_**.**'

**//+//**

"...Why are you here?" Gaara asked coolly. She looked over at the glass window, and she too, stared at her reflection.

"Are you that curious?" She questioned, and he stared at her.

"No."

"Then don't ask." She replied lightly, turning to smirk at him. He glared before looking in the opposite direction. She glanced at him before smiling and walking past him. "But if you want to know, you should follow me."

Gaara let her pass him, slightly surprised when she did not wait to see if he would follow. Instead, she continued to walk without stopping. Scowling, he reluctantly followed after her, glaring when she looked over her shoulder and gave him a coy smile.

"So, you are curious." Gaara did not respond, so she laughed and turned back around. Quietly, he followed her until they came to the outskirts of the village, where training fields and such were spread out. He followed her out into a field, and watched as she walked up a tree to sit on one of the lower branches. For a moment, neither spoke.

"...You brought me out here to sit in a tree?" Gaara finally questioned coldly, eyes narrowed. She blinked before smiling and leaning her back against the trunk.

"I didn't bring you anywhere; you followed me." Gaara scowled, and she noticed that sand was threatening to pour out of the gourd on his back. Surprisingly, she seemed more relaxed at this fact. "Well, since you followed, I guess I'll have to tell you why I came here."

He waited for an answer, the sand resting inside the gourd. She stared at the sky for a long moment before looking down at him. "I came here to see you."

For a moment, he just stared. Then, his face returned to its normal blank expression. "What a stupid reason." She just shrugged, letting her legs dangle from either side of the branch as he stared up at her.

"I guess."

"If you came here to only see me, you should have come earlier, fool." Gaara said lowly as he sat down in front of the tree trunk, his gourd now resting against the trunk like his back. She blinked before looking down at the top of his head with a smile.

"I didn't know you wanted to see me so badly."

"I didn't. So shut up before I kill you." Gaara replied lowly, closing his eyes with a bent head. She stared at him for a moment longer before leaning her head against the tree trunk and staring up at the sky.

'_I wonder...Why do I feel normal around you?_'

**//+//**

_Several years passed; none of them were the same._

Yume smiled and laughed when Zai tripped over a dead log, causing him to crash into Koji who fell forward. As the two were sprawled on top of each other, both listening to Yume laugh, they looked at each other. Zai gazed at Koji sadly, while Koji's lips were sealed tightly.

Did anyone else realize how she faked her smiles and laughs?

'**But...Now, it's different. Ever since you came along, her smiles seemed to be more real, her laughs more happy. If you can make her like this...If you can make her feel happy, then I'm sure Zai would not mind. So...Thank you, **_**Gaara-san**_**. Thank you for making Yume feel more real.**'


	18. Why

Zai had finished cleaning the campsite two hours ago; no one would ever know that they had been here. He glanced to the right, where he remembered Koji walking off. He had been gone for two and a half hours; a stream wasn't _that_ hard to locate.

But, Zai didn't move in that direction. Instead, he walked out of the forest and back onto the trail, looking ahead. Konoha would be only two hours away if he sprinted. He could get an inn room and wait there. God knows he desperately needed to be alone.

"Zai?" Zai blinked before looking over his shoulder and scowling; Koji, as fate would so have it, had appeared. Koji blinked coolly at Zai before looking ahead with a slight frown, "...I understand. You can go ahead, if you wish."

Zai stared coldly at Koji, something he normally didn't do. Koji stared back blankly, green eyes vacant. As they stared each other done, Zai's chest ached, memories of **that** night still etched in his mind. However, he didn't say anything. He just sprinted away, leaving Koji to watch his back disappear down the dusty trail.

'_...Zai..._'

**//+//**

"Where are you going?"

She blinked as she landed on the ground from her previous spot on the tree branch. "Sorry, Mr. Sandman; my back is starting to ache." Gaara remained passive at the use of that ridiculous nickname.

"I don't remember your back being injured." He said lowly, eyes narrowing. She looked down at him; he was still sitting.

"It must have gotten injured in recovery on accident." She stated idly, stretching her arms over her head; she had done nothing but sit in a tree branch for over two hours, quietly talking about anything that came to mind. She doubted that he had actually been listening, but it didn't matter; not to her, at least.

"...It's useless to lie to me, Meyu." She tensed when he said that. Silence consumed the moments that passed, allowing him to stare at her back. She was staring at the ground, eyes half-open.

"...I guess there's no pretending around you, then." She said lightly before walking away, leaving him to sit in front of the tree and watch her leave.

Something was going on.

**//+//**

"Has a room been reserved for a Meyu of Sand?"

The lady at the desk blinked before looking down at the check-in sheet. "Ah, yes. You are Meyu, then?" The girl in front of the desk looked nice enough; a clean face, a fresh violet color of hair, and she wasnt hasty or rude like that blue-haired boy from before. The lady smiled down at her before handing her a small key, "Your friend is already here. He's in Room 22; your room is Room 23, right across from him." The older woman explained, and the girl nodded and took the key.

"Thank you. Has another room been reserved under Jiko?" The girl, Meyu, asked. The woman checked the sheet again and nodded.

"Yes, your friend Azi reserved a room for you and a Jiko. Are you all set?" Meyu nodded again, smiling.

"Yes, thank you." She said before walking over to the hallway of the inn, leaving the woman to watch her quietly.

'_What a lovely girl...Too bad that she feels the need to fake her smiles around other people._'

**//+//**

He stared at the ceiling as he lay on top of the single bed in the small room. He had just entered Konoha half an hour ago, and had spent the time staring coolly at the ceiling. '_...I'm still mad?_'

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. Sighing, he looked over at it, "What?"

"Let me in; I think there's something wrong." He was at the door in a minute, opening it to reveal her.

"Yume, what's wrong?" He asked quickly and quietly, stepping aside to let her in. Yume sighed and sat on the bed, crossing one leg over the other while she leaned back on her arms.

"Look at my back, Zai..." She replied, lowering her head. Zai blinked in confusion before hesitatingly walking over to her. Carefully, he got onto the bed and moved behind her, so he was facing her back. He inhaled through his nose before touching her back lightly, only to pull back when she hissed.

"Sorry." He mumbled, but she just shook her head.

"I'm fine; just...Tell me what you see." Yume told him, and Zai nodded before gently lifting the fabric of her shirt off of her back, moving it up to her neck. His eyes widened at the sight.

"Yume..." His voice trailed off as one finger traced the ink on her skin. She blinked.

"What is it?"

"...You violated your contract?" He asked quietly, pulling her shirt back down to its original place. She frowned at the door.

"What contract?" She questioned, ignoring him when Zai wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Usaka-san never told you? He set up a contract for you the first day you came to Samuru," Zai paused to rest his chin on her shoulder; he enjoyed it when she didn't push him away. "He gave your body to Samuru, just so you would have a safe haven. Usaka-san allowed Samuru to do numerous tests on you, resulting in your chakra problem and..."

Zai couldn't finish. Instead, he buried his face into Yume's shoulder and tightened his arms around her waist. Yume, however, was stiff. "...Usaka? **He** did this to me?" She questioned coldly, still not moving. Zai lifted his head from her shoulder to nod solemnly.

"He didn't mean to, Yume...It **killed** him. That's why he wanted you to hate Samuru..."

"How do you know this? Did Usaka **tell** you?" She pulled away from him and stood up, glaring at the door. Zai stared sadly at her back.

"He didn't want me to say anything...Yume, I'm sorry." She ignored him.

"...What is happening to me, then?" She asked, and he sighed, looking away.

"The kanji for 'traitor'...It's starting to appear on your back. But, since you didn't sign the contract and Usaka-san did, the effects will only happen to him." He explained quietly, and she nodded, her right hand clenching into a fist. It was still wrapped in bandages; the burn had never healed.

"And what effects will happen?"

Zai didn't answer immediately. Instead, he lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling dismally. '_Why...Why is this happening to us?_'

"Zai? What's happening to Usaka?" Yume asked again with more power. He blinked rapidly before looking at her back; she refused to face him.

"The tattoo on his back, it's from Samuru. The ink is poisonous, and now that the contract has been violated, it'll start to seep into his skin. Once the poison reaches Usaka-san's bloodstream, he'll be dead in about eleven days..."

She tensed automatically as silence followed Zai's statement. Usaka would **die**?

"Good."

Zai blinked, "What?"

"_Good_; he deserves to die." Yume repeated, turning to glare at Zai. "_He_ did this to me! He _ruined_ my life!" Zai stared at her with a slightly opened mouth; he had never heard her this upset before.

"Yume..."

"After the Main Matches we're going back to Suna; we're _never_ going back there." She continued before stalking towards the door and yanking it open. Silently, she walked out into the hallway and slammed the door shut behind her, leaving Zai to sit on the edge of the bed quietly.

Why couldn't they be happy like before?

**//+//**

The lady behind the desk looked up when someone entered the inn. "Ah, good evening." She greeted the boy, who looked at her with clear green eyes.

"Has a room been reserved for a 'Jiko'?" He asked lowly, and the lady smiled.

"Are you with Azi and Meyu?" The boy looked slightly surprised.

"Ah, yes." He finally replied, turning to face her. For doing so, she noted from the head protector around his neck that he was from Suna.

"Room 25; next to Azi." The lady said, handing a key to the boy, who took it with a nod.

"Arigato." He said before turning, only to freeze. The lady blinked before looking in the same direction he was staring in, and smiled.

"Ah, Meyu-san, are you hungry? If so, I might recommend-"

However, the girl just ran past the two quickly, sprinting out of the inn. Jiko, the boy, stood in his spot for another moment before lowering his head and walking towards the rooms.

"W-Wait! Aren't you going to see what's wrong?" The lady questioned with concern, only for Jiko to pause in his movements.

"No; I already know what happened." He replied smoothly before walking away, leaving the lady to sigh and rest her elbows on the desk.

Why were adolescences so mysterious these days?

**//+//**

He had retreated to the roof of a building, settling himself with one knee up to his chest and his gourd on his back securely. It was close to night; the moon would be out soon.

Suddenly, he looked away from the sky and down to the ground; he could hear someone running. Blankly, he watched the roads as a dark silhouette sprinted down them, its sandals slapping against the pavement. He raised a nonexistent eyebrow when the figure stopped, kneeling over. He watched as the figure straightened itself out, smoothing back hair, he supposed. Then, as soon as the figure had appeared, it disappeared.

He frowned slightly, but brushed it off and went back to staring up at the sky; he could make out the outline of the moon. He barely noticed the faint presence of someone else on the farther side of the roof. After a long moment, he looked over to his right; sure enough, the figure before was sitting on the edge, its legs dangling.

Except, he knew who the figure was.

He didn't say anything, however; instead, he looked back at the sky, pretending he hadn't seen her.

"I thought I would be alone if I came here...But I forgot that you have taken a liking to rooftops." He looked over again; she was staring at him.

"...There are plenty of rooftops. Go choose one." Gaara said lowly, indifferent to the situation. He recognized that emotion that was leaking out of her, but he couldn't place it exactly.

"I'm quite comfortable here; am I bothering you?" She asked, tilting her head at him. When she did this, her hair moved away from her neck, and he noticed that it was slightly red; she had been rubbing at it anxiously.

He didn't reply, and she shrugged before standing up and walking over. Sand poured out of his gourd and slithered on the roof tiles, and she paused a good two yards away. She stared down at the sand before sighing and sitting back down, as close to the sand as she felt comfortable.

"That's fine; I need distance, anyway." She replied lightly, and he frowned. She stared at the sky for long moments that seemed to stretch out forever, not saying one word or giving him a glance. He had been watching her the entire time, waiting for her to move. She didn't.

Slowly, the sand pulled away from the tiles and retreated back into his gourd before he turned back to the moon. '_Tomorrow will be a full moon..._'

"Are you ready, Mr. Sandman?" Gaara blinked; her voice sounded much closer. Looking over, he found that she had moved quite quickly to close the distance to only one yard between them.

"...What do you think?" He asked coolly, and she shrugged, rubbing at her neck.

"I'm not talking about the Exams, if that's what you think..." She said quietly, and he blinked at the side of her face. He didn't say anything, though, and she glanced at him. "I meant...Are you ready to know who I **really** am?"

**//+//**

"So...You told her?"

Zai continued to stare at the ceiling, ignoring Koji's voice. Koji waited a few moments before sighing and pushing back strands of his hair. "I see. You are still...Upset."

More silence.

Koji stared at Zai for another long moment before lowering his eyes and turning to the door. "The Main Matches are tomorrow...Yume will want to go."

Zai just blinked. Koji sighed and opened the door. "Good night." And with that, Koji left Zai's room, leaving the blue-haired boy to roll over onto his stomach and stuff a pillow under his chin.

'_...How can he even talk to me after what he did?_' He glared at the headboard of the bed, images running through his mind. '_He knows how I feel about her..._'

Why did he do it?

'_**WHY**_?'


	19. Team

Usaka stared at his bare arm, watching as the wires dug underneath his skin. He sighed from the pain as the wires traveled through his bloodstream, attracting the poisonous ink with chakra. His left leg began to shake uncontrollably as the wires burst through the palm of his hand, pouring a black liquid into the small bowl that lay on the table.

"Usaka-san, are you alright? Are you becoming light-headed?" Taji questioned, but Usaka shook his head, staring as the wire that protruded from his palm continued to drip ink into the bowl. He flinched; it was starting to hurt.

"How much of this damn ink is there?" He asked roughly, and Taji frowned.

"Usually only an ounce or so...There shouldn't be so much!" He added when the ink continued to drip, the bowl almost over-flowing. Sighing, he replaced the bowl with a new one and rubbed his neck anxiously. "This is serious..."

"Did you find out where Yume is?" Usaka suddenly asked, and Taji blinked before slowly shaking his head.

"_Gomen_...But we'll find her soon; it's only a matter of time." Taji added with a smile, and Usaka tilted his head.

"Why? Who did you send?" An uncharacteristic smirk appeared on Taji's lips as he turned away from Usaka to jolt something down on the clipboard.

"Just two black-nin..."

"Kiyoshi and Toshi? You sent _them_, of all people?!" Usaka exclaimed, only to hiss and wince; the stiff wires that were poised in his bloodstream made it painful for him to move. Taji smiled over his shoulder.

"Don't worry; they'll bring her back. Promise."

**//+//**

It was late. He was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

He couldn't sleep.

Idly, he glanced over at the nightstand, where his Suna head protector laid. His mesh shirt and jacket were thrown over a chair that had been randomly placed in the room, and the air was cool against his bare skin.

Suddenly, the door creaked open. He didn't look to see who it was; instead, he scooted over to the side of the bed, arms behind his head as his green eyes continued to stare upwards. He felt the bed sink from an added weight and closed his eyes.

"...Zai-"

"Did you mean to do it?" Zai asked quietly, interrupting him. Koji looked away from the ceiling to glance at Zai's back, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Do what?" Zai's lips thinned.

"**You know.**" He hissed, and Koji slowly sighed.

"I see..." Zai looked over his shoulder at Koji, eyes half-open.

"...Is that all you have to say? _I see_?!" He hissed again, and Koji stared at him with an unknown expression across his face.

"What do you want me to say?" Koji asked, running a hand through his hair as he sat up on the bed, looking the other way as Zai did. The blue-eyed one's face slowly relaxed as he stared at the opposite wall blankly.

"...I don't know. I just want you to say **something**..." He admitted, and Koji nodded at the other wall.

"I don't know what to tell you, then..." Zai lowered his eyes to the ground sadly. "But I'll tell you that I think you should give her up." Koji finished quietly, and he sensed that Zai's hands hand formed fists. Silence washed over the room as Zai stared blankly at the ground, his knuckles white and as Koji stared at the opposite wall, eyes half-open.

What else was he supposed to say? He didn't know why he did what he did, but how was Zai going to accept that? He had to tell him what he really thought. And if it wounded the blue-eyed black-nin, then so be it.

"It's best for both of you." Koji finally said, looking over his shoulder. He didn't notice that the weight from the bed had been lifted and that the door was open. He stared at the open door and out into the hallway before closing his eyes and sighing.

'_It will take time...But you'll learn to live and forget, Zai...You'll learn._'

**//+//**

Gaara stared at her. Who she really was?

"I'm not Meyu...I'm Okino Yume."

He continued to stare while she looked at him. She waited for him to burst into some type of rage for being lied to. But...He just kept silent.

"...Your name is of no importance to me." He stated lowly, turning back to the moon. She blinked at him, expecting much worse. However, after a long moment, she smiled slightly and stared at the moon with him.

"I'm happy, then."

"...Then why are you here right now, if you're happy?" She blinked at his quiet question. She glanced over at him with a tilted head.

"I am happy." She assured, only for him to narrow his eyes at her. He stared her down for a long moment before she sighed. "I guess I'm not. I haven't been in a while..."

"I didn't ask that so you could push your tragedies on me." He said coolly, awaiting her frown. He continued to wait for her to glare at him, to maybe say something about how his words were bitter, but...She never did.

She **agreed** with him.

"You're right; I'm sorry. My problems shouldn't affect your life." He stared openly at her, watching as she stood up and dusted off unseen dirt from her shorts. "But, may I say one thing?"

Gaara looked up at her, face blank. "Would it matter if I said no?" She smiled down at him, tucking a few strands of hair behind her right ear.

"I think you and I would make a good team, Mr. Sandman."

"...And why would you say such a foolish thing?" She laughed slightly, a breeze blowing her hair around her face.

"We're alike, don't you think?" Yume questioned with a cool smile. Gaara's brow furrowed.

"How can you possibly think we are alike?" His tone was low, but she didn't falter. Instead, she remained calm as she took a few steps back from him.

"Just a feeling. I should be leaving; tomorrow is an important day." For a moment, his body tensed as she smiled at him. "Isn't it, Mr. Sandman?"

Silence consumed him. It seemed to be overtaking his body a lot lately, not from lack of words, but from slight surprise that this **girl** knew what she knew. "...How do you know that?"

"Like I said before, I know many things. Your life happens to be one of them." She replied smartly before turning her back to him, ready to leave.

That was her mistake.

Caught off guard, a torrent of sand shot at her back which forced her down onto the roof tiles. Quickly, she rolled to the left, barely dodging another attack while wires shot out of her arms, which were easily blocked by sections of hardened sand.

"Okino Yume...You have a strange name." Gaara stated, moving to the side when more wires darted out at him. At his comment, she smiled coolly at him.

"Compared to yours?"

He paused; **why** were they still conversing, even during **battle**?

She wasn't fazed when the sand moved away from her and back into his gourd. Quietly, she relaxed and straightened herself up, one hand placed on her hip. "Done already?"

Gaara merely placed the cork back into the opening of his gourd. "Like you said, tomorrow is an important day." He said lowly before turning his back to her. He took a few steps forward, away from her, only to pause.

"...Yume." She tilted her head to acknowledge that she was listening. Quietly, he glanced over his right shoulder, and aquamarine locked onto red violet. He didn't say anything, and she blinked. Finally, after a long moment, he looked forward and disappeared, leaving Yume to stand alone on the rooftop. Sadly, she stared at the spot he had stood only moments before, only for him to be gone.

Quietly, she sat back down on the roof tiles, this time with her knees up to her chest and her chin resting atop them. She had been trying to put off this feeling as long as possible by being near him. But now that he was gone, the feeling came back with a vengeance.

'_Usaka-Niisan..._'

Her eyes remained dry as she lowered her forehead to her knees, burying her face away from the world.

'_Why?_'

**//+//**

He hadn't left, like she thought. He had hung upside down from the gutters of the roof, and had a clear view of her hugging her knees. Even though he was staring at her from an opposite angle, he could see her anxiously rub at her neck again.

'_...A habit?_' Blinking, he narrowed his eyes before crossing his arms over his chest. He shouldn't be here; he should have just left like he had started to.

_"We're alike, don't you think?"_

He frowned slightly; how could she possibly be similar to him? How could _she_, who acted so carefree, know what he has been through? It was ridiculous to even think about comparing her to him.

After all, tomorrow would change everything.

"Don't run, Okino-san."

His eyes widened as he looked back at her from an opposite angle. She was standing in a defensive position as two figures were in front of her. He could tell by the size that they were about two years older, around Temari's age.

Had he been so **consumed** that he hadn't noticed their presence?

"They sent **you two**?" She stated, as if she was offended. "Are they _trying_ to insult me?"

One figure, slightly shorter than the other, stepped forward. "Come on, Yume; don't be so mean."

"Okino-san, we're allowed to use force if you are uncooperative." The taller figure said lowly while his eyes narrowed.

'_Force?_'

She smirked steadied her feet, "It looks like I'm being uncooperative, then."

Suddenly, everything was right side up, and he found himself standing next to her on the rooftop. Eyes cool, he glanced at her to find her slightly surprised. "Mr. Sandman...?"

Gaara gave a slight nod before looking over at the two boys. One had pink hair and sunglasses, while the other was slightly taller with silver hair and ice blue eyes. "Are they enemies?"

The silver-haired one blinked blankly before looking at Yume, "What have you been doing, Okino-san?" Yume brushed the comment off and smirked over at Gaara.

"Yeah; want to be the team that I talked about?" She questioned lightly, and he scowled before looking back at the two enemies.

"Don't get ahead of yourself..."

**//+//**

"What happens now?"

Taji rubbed his chin as he squatted down to examine Usaka's bare back. The tattoo was slowly fading away into his skin. "I'm not sure...But act completely normal; we don't need Samuru-sama to know about this." He added, and Usaka grunted as he pulled the mesh shirt back over his torso before slipping on a dark purple vest that was equivalent to a Chuunin one.

"...Right." He replied quietly, idly fidgeting with the pockets of the vest. Taji looked at him with a tilted head.

"Usaka-san..."

"Taji...Do you think I did the right thing?" Usaka suddenly asked, staring down at his hands while Taji bit his lower lip. "Do you think this was all worth it...?"

"...No, I don't." He answered quietly, holding the clipboard to his chest, "I don't think you made the right decision, but...I'll support it anyway."

Usaka blinked and looked at the younger one, who was staring at his feet. "If Usaka-san thinks it was right, then I'll support it despite what I think and vice versa," Taji paused to look at Usaka with a small smile, "I just want you and Yume-chan to be happy again."

Usaka just stared, eyes wide. How had he not realized it? Finally, after a long, awkward silence, Usaka's face relaxed.

"_Arigato_, Taji...For everything."

**//+//**

"Are you going to order? We're closing up."

He blinked before looking up from the counter, "Sorry. Yeah, I'll have some pork ramen." The young woman nodded before calling the order back to an older man, the cook and father.

Sighing, he laid his head back onto the counter inside the Ichiraku Ramen Place, blue eyes distant. He had needed to get out, he needed to think.

_"...I think you should give her up."_

He closed his eyes; he didn't want to think about **that**. But he **had** to.

However, his thoughts were interrupted when a muffled crash echoed throughout the area, causing some of the fryers in the back of the stand to shake. "The dishes!" The young woman quickly grabbed a hold of the stacked dishes with a relieved sigh; she had just managed to save them from falling over.

He gripped the edge of the counter while looking around, eyes narrowed. "Does this happen often?"

"No; some foreigners must be causing trouble." The woman added with a scowl once the rumbling was finally done. Frowning, he sat back down on the stool, brow furrowed.

'_Was that you...Yume?_'


	20. Ironic

Usaka watched carefully as droplets of the liquid fell into the vial, one by one.

If there was one too many, or one too less, the liquid could be fatal.

"Fifty-eight, fifty-nine..." He quickly pulled the dropper away when he heard the door slide open. Scowling, he turned to the entrance, "Are you stupid? You could have made me-Oh, Taji." He suddenly relaxed and placed the dropper back onto the table when he saw the younger man walk in. Cautiously, Taji looked around; they were alone.

He wasn't sure if he liked that or not, considering the incident that had happened in this laboratory before...

"I'm sorry." He apologized quickly, giving a short bow. Usaka raised an eyebrow at him but just turned back to the vial.

"Have Toshi and Kiyoshi brought Yume back yet?" He questioned, dropping the sixtieth droplet into the vial. Taji bit his lower lip as he fiddled with the clipboard.

"Actually...I think they might have some trouble." He replied slowly, watching as Usaka paused in his work.

"...Why do you say that?" Usaka asked, going back to the vial; he only needed forty more drops. Taji sighed and tapped the clipboard with his index finger in a worried manner.

"Well, I forgot to compare their records to Yume's and," He paused when Usaka looked up at him, "It seems that Yume...Surpasses them easily. And with the possibility of Gaara-san being with her-"

"Why would you think that he would be with her?" Usaka interrupted with narrowed eyes, and Taji swallowed.

"Well...It looks like they've...Grown on each other?" He suggested timidly, and Usaka let out a hot puff of air.

"She's fooling around again...She should know when to stop pretending." He said lowly with a frown as he added the next drop. Taji watched him warily before smiling slightly.

'_Who knows...Maybe she's not pretending after all..._'

**//+//**

Smoke cleared away from the rooftop, revealing an odd dome. Half was made of cemented sand while the other half was constructed of wires. The dome remained still for the time being, and the pink-haired fifteen year old smirked before lowering his sunglasses.

"They're fast." He commented, placing his hands on his hips as he eyed the dome. The silver-haired boy nodded in agreement, quietly pulling the high collar of his shirt to cover his thin lips.

"You seem to be having fun already, Toshi." The taller one stated quietly as he idly did hand seals. Toshi, the pink-haired one, laughed before raising his arms; multiple kunai knives that had their handles caked in mud followed his movements.

"I am, Kiyoshi, I am."

**//+//**

A tiny ray of moonlight shone through the woven wires into the odd dome, allowing the two to see partially.

"An explosion? But from what?" Yume asked herself quietly as she felt the burnt roof tiles underneath her. Gaara eyed the tiles as well.

"The burns are too dark to be from an explosive note." He observed and she glanced up at him from her kneeling spot on the roof.

"Then what-" She stopped and he raised a nonexistent eyebrow. However, he quickly understood when multiple thuds resonated from the outside layer of the dome. The two glanced at each other before both of their eyes widened.

"_Move._"

_Boom!_

**//+//**

Toshi laughed richly as the dome exploded, wires and sand flying through the night air. "_Bulls-eye_." He commented airily with a grin while touching the edge of his sunglasses. However, when the smoke finally cleared, his grin quickly faded.

The two had vanished.

"_Nani_? She actually ran?" He stated in surprise while Kiyoshi took a few steps away. Silently, a dark void appeared in the night air, blending with the normal darkness. Kiyoshi swiftly reached both of his arms inside, keeping an eye on Toshi as he walked over to the explosion spot.

After a moment, Kiyoshi pulled his right arm back out, grabbing an unconscious Yume by her collar. He then pulled out his left, his hand grabbing a fully conscious but confused Gaara by his sash.

"_Nannnnnni?!_ They must be _really_ good!" Kiyoshi tensed as he heard Toshi's voice, only to sigh when he realized that it was from a distance.

He was slightly surprised when sand slithered up to his neck. Quietly, he turned to look at Gaara who had narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"You would have been safe if you kept me in that alternate universe of yours." Gaara said lowly, the sand around Kiyoshi's neck tightening. He gave a quiet cough before glancing down at Yume, who lay on the tiles.

"We just want Okino-san; you don't have to be involved." He explained lowly, relaxing when the sand became slightly looser around his throat. "You can leave right now...We won't come after you."

Gaara glanced down at the unconscious body on the floor; she had suffered the most impact from the explosion, and it was only normal for her to have hit her head and lose consciousness. Still...

Something wasn't right.

"...Hn." Was all he replied to before stepping to the side, sand now wrapping itself tightly around Kiyoshi's torso. Kiyoshi breathed in quickly, the impact on his ribs sudden, and his ice blue eyes widened for the second that he saw her.

She had stood, smirked, and then slammed her palm into his stomach, unable to move by the binding sand. He twitched as he felt something metal slide into his gut. Slowly, he looked down to see a wire protruding from his stomach as she pulled her palm away.

"Kiyoshi!" He blinked before inhaling again, the sand constricting around his chest. Weakly, he tried to look over his shoulder, where he could hear Toshi's voice, but to no avail.

"Don't worry...You won't die." He looked back to see her standing by the other, her smirk gone. "But...I thought you would have approved, Kiyoshi-kun."

"_Kiyoshi!_ Kiyoshi!" Toshi cried out as he sprinted back to his partner, only to roughly catch him when the sand threw the body in his direction. With a grunt, Toshi fell to the ground, Kiyoshi's heavier body sprawled on top of him as he stared blankly at the tiles.

"Your attacks are still more flashy than effective, Toshi." Yume declared from her position next to Gaara, who remained passive. "And Kiyoshi, you're as naive as always." She paused before sighing and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Taji made a mistake in sending you two."

Toshi didn't reply, along with Kiyoshi; both knew that it was the truth. Kiyoshi's vision was becoming blurry and he felt the wire sink into his stomach even further, causing his breathing to hitch. Worried, Toshi carefully sat up and moved Kiyoshi so that he was lying on his back, staring up at the night sky blankly.

"...What am I supposed to tell them, Yume?" Toshi asked, looking over at her through sunglasses. She stared back before glancing over at Gaara.

"That I'm busy." She replied before smiling and turning her back to the two. "_Sayonara_."

Gaara blinked before his eyes slightly widened. "_Move!_"

She fell to the ground just as multiple explosions went off behind her. Quickly, she covered her body with wires, just shielding herself from the burning debris that sped over her.

"Damn; he got in the way." Her eyes widened when she heard Toshi's voice.

"Mr. Sandman?" She asked quietly, the wires removing themselves from her body as she stood up. However, she could only take a step back.

Gaara turned to face her, his face cracked. Slowly, a piece of his face fell to the ground, transforming to sand at the impact. Behind him was a curved wall of sand, where half of it had been destroyed from the powerful explosion.

His breathing was heavy, and his eyes narrowed. From behind him, Toshi smirked. "At least it hit _someone_-" He was cut off by a torrent of sand that pushed itself into his open mouth, beginning to choke him. Toshi clawed at his throat desperately, the disgusting grains of sand that were mixed with blood forcing itself into his mouth. Yume could just stare for a long moment before shaking her head.

"Mr. Sandman; stop." Gaara's eyes seemed to narrow even more, and more sand was thrust into Toshi's mouth.

"Mr. Sandman-"

"_Sabaku ky--_"

"**Gaara!**" He stopped. Blinking, he looked up to see that she was staring at him, only a foot away. Red violet caught onto aquamarine, and he looked away, showing off the large cracks in his face. Slowly, the sand moved out of Toshi's throat, allowing him to gasp for air greedily before falling onto his knees, wheezing. The sand moved to its owner face, fixing the cracks and imperfections.

"I'm tired." He said lowly, turning his back to them before disappearing in a whirl of sand, leaving her to stand there in awe.

**//+//**

"Done." Usaka breathed, eyes sparkling as he corked the last vial; he had made two, just incase. Taji watched him quietly, holding the clipboard to his chest, as usual.

"What now, Usaka-san?" He questioned, and Usaka blinked before looking at him with a smile.

"Everything's going to go back to normal." Usaka said quickly in excitement as he carefully placed the two vials into the inner pocket of his vest. "Yume will be normal again, and then Yukio..."

He stopped. He stared at Taji, his eyes slipping back into the blank, lifeless expression that they normally had. Sighing, he turned away and walked out of the laboratory, hands in his pockets and head bent.

"...Some things can't be healed, I suppose." He mumbled before closing the door behind him, leaving Taji to stand there alone.

"Usaka-san..."

**//+//**

He jumped to the next rooftop, wildly glancing around. The last explosion had caused too much trouble for him to ignore; it had caused too much worry.

He looked towards the moon, and that's when he saw her.

"Yume!" He called out, speeding over to the rooftop. However, much to his dismay, she locked eyes with him and disappeared in a wire cocoon just as he landed on the roof tiles. He sighed, taking a step forward, only to jump back.

"Z...Zai?" His eyes widened before he knelt beside the fifteen-year-old, who had a wire protruding from his stomach.

"Kiyoshi?" Zai then looked to the right, where another was laying on his stomach. "Toshi?"

"C...Could you..." Kiyoshi breathed out, moving his hand. Zai swallowed before nodding, grasping the wire with both hands. Slowly, he pulled it out, not stopping when Kiyoshi arched in silent pain. Agonizing seconds went on until Zai finally pulled the metal out and throwing it aside.

"What happened?" He asked quickly, only for Kiyoshi to shake his head.

"Toshi...Help **him**." He whispered, furrowing his brow in pain and agrravation. Zai blinked before nodding and sprinting over to the other; apparently, Kiyoshi had wanted him to take care of Toshi first.

"Toshi, yo, can you hear me?" Zai asked quickly turning the boy over onto his back. His eyes widened; Toshi's throat was heavily bruised. "My god...Don't say anything!" He quickly added when Toshi moved his mouth to speak. Sighing, Zai quickly did hand seals, his hands glowing a soothing green before he touched Toshi's neck. The green chakra soaked into his skin, healing some of the more serious damage.

"Your throat is all cut up...What happened?" Zai questioned, once he established that Toshi could talk. However, Toshi could only raise his head slightly and speak one word.

"**Sand**."

**//+//**

He landed easily on the railing of the small balcony, looking up to see that Temari and Kankuro had fallen asleep. He then glanced at the small digital clock, which flashed the time back at him.

Strange, how it was only one in the morning.

Silently, he stepped down from the railing and carefully set his gourd up against it. He moved his shoulders and neck before closing his eyes and leaning against the metal, arms folded over his chest.

He was faintly surprised that he hadn't killed that Toshi guy. He was so close, too.

_"__**Gaara!**__"_

Was he supposed to find it ironic that the one time she used his proper name, he didn't recognize it? Was he also supposed to find it ironic that while he thinking, that she had crept up to this balcony once again?

"Leave me be." He said lowly, not bothering to open his eyes. She sighed before sitting on the railing as she had grown accustomed to, right beside him.

"..._Gomen_." He opened his eyes; he hadn't expected this apology. He glanced at her to find that she was staring at her feet. "I didn't mean to get you involved." She added with a shrug, looking away from her sandals and to the right, the opposite direction that he was in.

"Nothing was involved." He said lowly, disregarding her apology with little words. She blinked before smiling and turning to look at the side of his face.

"We make a good team." At this, the corner of his lips twitched slightly as he closed his eyes. Silence consumed both of them for a long moment before he sighed.

"It would seem so..."

**//+//**

Koji looked at the digital clock in the inn's room; it read three in the morning. Sighing, he stood up from the bed and reached for the fishnet shirt that was hung over the back of a chair, only to pause. His trained ears picked up the quietest footsteps, and he walked to the door, cracking it open.

"Zai." Zai blinked before looking over. They stared at each other for a moment before Zai gave a tired smile.

"Yo." Koji blinked slowly before the corners of his lips twitched.

"Yo..."

**//+//**

"...What are we going to say?" Kiyoshi stretched his arms, trying to get used to the bandages around his waist. Toshi shrugged as he rubbed his throat, which was still extremely sore.

"...She's busy." He whispered out, and Kiyoshi glanced down at him.

"You're accepting that...?" He asked before doing a few one-handed seals, darkness spreading from his right arm and wrapping itself around like a glove. Toshi scowled but nodded.

"We'll let her be...She deserves it the most." He finished, and Kiyoshi stared before closing his eyes, the darkness wrapping around the two of them.

"...Would you like me to praise you for your noble deed?"

"Shut up."


	21. Goodbyes

The digital clock flashed the early morning time for her, and she sighed as she rested her head on the pillow. There was no point, really, to lying down on the bed. It wasn't like she could rest, or lose consciousness for that matter. Normally, she didn't mind, but lately...

She frowned and buried her head into the fabric. Oh well, today could change things. Today could bring so many possibilities as well as so many endings.

What would she gain? She wasn't sure. However, she knew all too well that once today was over so many things could end. That's why she dreaded this day. That's why this day may be etched into her memory forever.

**//+//**

"Pass, please."

Smiling, he fished out a pass and handed it to the guard, who glanced at it before nodding. "Welcome to Konoha, Okino-san." The guard said in welcoming before handing the pass back to him.

"Which way is the arena?"

"North of here; just follow the crowd."

"Ah, _arigato_." He thanked the guard before walking into the village and easily mixing into the bustling crowd. Only ten in the morning, and the village was already heading towards the arena for seats. He smiled before reassuringly sticking his hand into his vest pocket. He felt the glass vial and sighed in relief; he had thought for sure that he had dropped both of them in the hurry to get away.

_"Are you betraying me, Usaka-san?"_

"No, sir. Just let me do this one thing."

"I see. Well, I wish you luck on getting out of here alive, then."

He shuddered at the recent event before looking up at the sun, it warming his face.

Quietly, he wondered why the sun couldn't warm the cold spot in his chest.

**//+//**

"Yo, Yume?"

Zai sighed as he knocked on the door again. If she wanted to get a good seat, they'd have to leave early.

Koji stood behind him, arms crossed over his chest idly. "The door's unlocked..." Zai blinked before scowling and opening the door.

"Yume?"

He frowned at what he saw.

The bed was made neatly, and there was no trace of her even being in the room. Koji blinked as he stepped inside, looking around while Zai just stood in the doorway. "She already left."

Zai stared at the untouched bed for a moment before sighing and turning away. "Let's go, then." Koji blinked before looking over his shoulder.

"You don't want to look for her?" Zai stared at the floor of the hallway before walking out, shrugging.

"She doesn't need me watching over her all the time." He stated before walking down the hallway, leaving Koji to stare at his retreating back with slight awe.

'_...Zai._' After a moment, his lips curved into a small smile. '_It's better this way._'

**//+//**

It was crowded, to say the least. People from throughout the nation were mixed in the stands on the circular arena, like a giant melting pot. With the exception of the Hokage and the Kazekage, who would be sitting above the crowd, as well as the Genin participants who would be waiting on a slightly higher platform than the crowd but below the Hokage and Kazekage.

"...What's wrong?"

Kaya frowned at her hand, which had suddenly begun to sting. "Nothing." Keij stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and looking out to the arena.

The Genin were scattered in the middle, all five of them. He blinked before frowning. Three were missing.

"That Sound guy is dead." The two blinked before looking behind them, only for Kaya to smile.

"Zane." Zane nodded, looking out at the Genin.

"They say he was murdered." He stated lowly, causing Keij's eyebrows to arch.

"Who do you suspect?" Keij inquired, only for Zane to shudder.

"I'd rather not say..."

**//+//**

"Y-Yukio-san?"

"Stop stuttering, Taji. You look pathetic." Yukio stated idly as he swung his kamas in a wide circle, stepping over the broken glass of multiple vials. Taji swallowed nervously as he backed up against the wall of the laboratory, his usual clipboard lying on the ground.

"What are you doing here?" He asked feebly as Yukio glanced at the experimental equipment.

"Where is it?"

"W-What-"

Taji was cut off as the wire connecting the two kamas was wrapped around his throat, mildly choking him. He gasped for air as he looked up to see Yukio towering above him. "Don't play with me; _where is it_?" Yukio asked darkly, eyes narrowed. Taji gasped as the wire loosened, only to swallow.

"Usaka...He took it." He replied, his throat sore. Yukio stared at him blankly for a moment before chuckling, pulling the kamas away.

"Of course, _Usaka_ decided to save the day. How _predictable_." Yukio sneered, swinging one side of the kamas over his shoulder before turning around, aimlessly kicking a table over. Glass shattered and liquids poured onto the ground, allowing Taji to stare at his reflection in awe.

"Why-"

"You should learn to keep your mouth shut." Yukio stated before exiting the room swiftly, leaving Taji to sit on the floor disgracefully.

**//+//**

She stared at the sky idly, her back against the trunk of the same tree she had been sitting in only days ago. The atmosphere, however, had changed drastically.

She blinked before looking to the left, only to blink again as a blonde sped past her. A moment passed by before she sighed. "Uzumaki's late..."

"So are you." She blinked before looking forward, only to sigh.

"What do you want, Usaka?" Usaka smiled before stepping away from the bushes and into clear view.

"Here." He said, casually throwing something at her. Easily, she caught the object in one hand, still staring at him.

"Pity present?" She inquired darkly, watching as his smile faltered.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, for ruining my life?" She retorted back, not even bothering to look at the object as she chucked it back at him. Surprised, he clumsily caught it in both hands before looking at her.

"Yume..." She shook her head, bringing her knees to her chest.

"Don't bother; Zai told me everything." She said idly, staring at her knees. "Sorry, but I don't think you can damage me any further." He blinked for a moment before looking away.

"...I was hoping you would forgive me...For what I've done." Usaka replied slowly, turning the object over in his hands. "And yes, I suppose you could say that this is a pity present...As you call it." He added, looking back at her.

"I just wish you could accept it." She blinked, staring at him. She sat in silence for a long moment, face devoid of emotion. Finally, she sighed and stood up, stretching her arms above her head.

"What is it?" She questioned with a scowl. Usaka blinked before smiling, moving closer to her.

"Your cure."

**//+//**

"You put it back on?"

"...Too many people." Koji responded lowly, the Suna head protector once again covering his eyes. Zai sighed before leaning back in his seat in the stands, idly looking down at the arena.

"Uzumaki finally showed up." He stated, and Koji nodded.

"Uchiha and Dosu are still missing, apparently..." Zai glanced over at him.

"Do you think they'll still start the first match at the scheduled time?" Koji frowned slightly before nodding.

"Most likely. If Yume isn't here by the second match, we'll search the village." He added, and Zai blinked before nodding.

"Uhn."

**//+//**

"...Cure?" She questioned cautiously while Usaka smiled.

"Here." He said, handing an object to her. She stared at it for a long moment before taking it in her hand, holding it up to the sun.

"Water. That's it?" She sighed, stuffing the vial into the kunai pouch that was above the metal plate strapped to her upper thigh. "How thoughtful."

"You're going to be late." He informed, glancing back at her, only to see her shrug. He tilted his head, "I thought you wanted to watch?"

"I thought I did, too." She admitted, looking out towards the arena as well. Both could hear the crowd start to roar; the first match must be starting. He stared at her for a longer moment before sighing and gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Goodbyes don't have to be sad..." Her eyes fluttered towards the ground before she turned to look at him. They stared at each other for a moment before he smiled sadly. "But I guess some things are just meant to be." He stated airily, letting his hand slide off of her shoulder before stepping back as she watched blankly.

"I thought I could fix this. I guess I can't." He sighed before scratching his neck. "Goodbye, _imouto-san_."

"Again?" He paused, glancing over at her. "You're doing this to me _again_?" She questioned quietly, causing his face to fall.

"What-"

"You always leave when things don't work out. You left when _otou-san_ died, you left when you gave me to Samuru, and now you're leaving when you don't know what to do." She sighed before taking the vial out of her pouch and throwing it onto the grassy ground. He watched, paralyzed in horror, as the glass broke and the liquid dripped onto multiple blades of grass.

"You've said too many goodbyes. So just leave; I don't want you around." She added coolly before turning her back on him and walking away, leaving him to stare at the grass, still paralyzed.

Once she was gone, he allowed himself to fall to his knees, his hands clutching patches of grass tightly. '_Yume..._' He felt his throat swell and his eyes water, but he bit his lip, refusing to make any sound. A sun ray was reflected back at him through a droplet of the liquid; the liquid that he thought was going to change everything.

It was this that finally allowed him to let a tear slide down his cheek.

'_Some things just can't be fixed...I suppose..._'

**//+//**

"Gaara? You okay-"

Kankuro's voice was muffled as Temari slapped a hand over his mouth, cautiously glancing over at Gaara. "Don't bother him; he's thinking of her." She whispered, only to freeze when she heard his voice.

"Shut up, both of you." Gaara said lowly, not bothering to spare the two a glance as he idly watched the match below. The only thing that was interesting about the match was that blonde, Uzumaki Naruto. And yet...He still couldn't focus completely.

_"Gaara!"_

"We make a good team."

A frown tainted his lips. '_Stupid girl..._'

**//+//**

Zai blinked, sensing something. Quietly, he looked over his shoulder, only to blink. He nudged Koji, who nodded before standing up. Zai followed suit and walked with the other out of the stands and into the back.

"Yo, where were you?" Zai asked, hands folded behind his head as he peeked at Yume, who was leaning against a wall with folded arms. She shrugged and looked at them both.

"Where's Murabashi?" Koji stared at her profoundly before shaking his head.

"I see you are still interested in her..." He said idly, and she sighed, pulling out the file.

"Usaka put this in my room; I'm sure of it." Yume stated, causing Zai to sigh loudly.

"Why do you have to talk to her, then? You already have the file." He pointed out, causing her to stare at the file thoughtfully. After a moment, she nodded, looking back up.

"Zai's right; I have to go back to Samuru." Koji tensed before stepping closer.

"That is out of the question. He must know by now what you're up to; going back will only create problems." She blinked before shrugging, pocketing the file once again.

"Then I'll go alone; you two are the only ones that would be in danger anyway." Zai and Koji glanced at each other before Zai laughed.

"Yo, we'll go, we'll go." He said lazily, frowning slightly. Koji nodded in agreement, causing Yume to blink before smiling slightly.

"Thanks."

"Yume..." She blinked and looked over at Koji, who slowly took his head protector off again so that it was placed around his neck. "If we go now, do you realize that you might never see him again?" Zai blinked in confusion for a moment before his face grew solemn, and he looked away. Yume immediately looked away, eyes half-lidded as she stared at the arena, where Uzumaki and Hyuuga were still fighting. She looked across the stands to see the person she had discreetly been looking for, and to see that he was staring straight at her.

She closed her eyes and looked back at Koji. "Then let's get going." She said quietly, and Koji nodded, turning away.

"Zai and I will be waiting at the gates with our things." He stated calmly, walking off towards the exit, Zai quietly following, leaving Yume to stand there by herself.

Sighing, she took out the file, and flipped it over, where aquamarine eyes stared up at her. She looked up, only to see the exact same eyes staring at her from a distance. Hesitating, she took a step back before running to the left, opposite of the exit.

**//+//**

He blinked before turning towards the exit. Silently, he walked away, into the long hallway, leaving Temari and Kankuro to stare.

It was only a matter of seconds before he stopped, eyes locked straight ahead. He had to admit, she was faster than he anticipated.

"You're late." He stated coolly, arms crossed. She blinked before looking away.

"...I came to say goodbye." His eyes flashed with surprise before they recovered. He stared at her for a long moment before speaking.

"Then say it." She glanced at him before her lips curved up. He wouldn't use the term smile, because it wasn't one. Not one that he recognized on her face.

"Straight to the point as usual, Mr. Sandman." She said, trying to resist putting a hand to her chest; it was aching. However, she blinked in surprise when he put a hand to his own chest, frowning.

"It hurts." He mumbled, looking over at her. She blinked before placing a hand to her chest as well. He raised a nonexistent eyebrow at her, and she looked at the ground, smiling sadly.

"Maybe if we don't say goodbye...Maybe it wouldn't hurt so much." She said quietly, and he blinked. He stared at her for a long moment as his hand slowly fell away from his chest.

"...Then don't say it."

She froze before looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He stood plainly in front of her, a couple yards away with his arms now at his sides.

"Don't say goodbye."

She stared in disbelief before a genuine smile graced her lips. "Then I won't, Mr. Sandman." The corners of his lips twitched slightly, but just as he was about to say something, wires wrapped themselves around her and she disappeared from his sight.

"..."

He looked around the hallway with a frown, only to pause as he found something on the ground. Curiously, he picked up the object, and the smallest hint of a smile spread onto his lips.

In his hand was a red ribbon; the same red ribbon that had been in her hair when they first met. Swiftly, he tied the ribbon to the white sash that crossed his chest before turning and exiting the hallway, going back outside where the sun shone brightly.

'_...Stupid girl._'


	22. Tired

Yukio hummed lightly, easily slicing through a blue-nin as he walked down one of the many underground hallways. He paused for a moment, looking around before settling his eyes on the dirt ceiling. Smirking, he pulled his kamas back before whipping them up at the dirt; on contact, the ceiling exploded. As earth fell to the lower level, wires shielded the boy from harm. Once the hole in the ceiling was secure, he easily jumped up into the higher level, glancing around.

"Oh, lucky." He said brightly, smirking at the room. Furniture was scattered around, all either dark blue or white, matching the decor of the room.

He yawned, stretching his arms above his head before throwing himself down on a random couch. Sighing in relaxation, he slung his kamas around his neck and rested his hands behind his head, closing his eyes.

'_Files are so boring to look for..._'

**//+//**

The arena exploded in cheers, and she closed her eyes, resisting the urge to look back. Instead, she continued to walk forward towards the gates of Konoha, where Koji and Zai were patiently waiting.

"...Ready?" Koji asked when she was within earshot. She paused before nodding with a smile.

"Yeah." She assured before Zai sighed loudly.

"Yume...What are we going to do after this?" He asked, looking over at her. Yume blinked before rubbing the back of her neck carelessly.

"Hm, I don't know. Why don't we go back to Suna? See if we can rent an apartment or something?" She suggested, only for the boys to glance at each other.

"...You know that's impossible." Koji replied somberly, "Our contracts would be cancelled, and the curse seal would go into effect; you know that." Zai remained silent, his face suddenly somber. Her smile faltered just for a moment.

"Right, I almost forgot." She turned towards the gate, "Let's go, then."

**//+//**

He slipped into the seat somberly, resting his arms on the bar counter. He raised a hand towards the bartender, who nodded and set a cup of sake in front of him.

"You look kind of young to be drinking alcohol..." The bartender noticed warily, only for a pass to be placed underneath his nose. Scowling, the bartender examined the pass before rolling his eyes and giving it back. "Twenty-two; barely legal, Usaka-san."

Usaka just sipped at the sake, eyes blank. The bartender raised a curious eyebrow before shrugging it off and walking to the other end of the counter, where another man awaited a drink. Usaka watched the other customer out of the corner of his eye; the black cloak and the ANBU mask was what put him off. Ignoring it, he went back to his drink.

"...Is this seat taken?" A suave voice asked, and Usaka looked over his shoulder only for his eyes to widen in slight surprise. Standing behind him was Lyule Akion; sensei of Murabashi Kaya and currently the person that he would have liked to avoid.

"What would you do if I said it was?" Usaka asked plainly, turning back to finish the last of his drink. Akion smirked.

"I might have to buy you a drink."

"You didn't seem the type to be interested in men," Usaka said with a sigh, shifting in his seat, "But if I get a free drink, by all means..." Akion was silent for a moment before laughing and taking the seat next to the other.

"Sarcastic and cocky," His face suddenly shifted from carefree to solemn as he turned to face Usaka, "Just like in my file report, Okino Usaka."

**//+//**

The three were silent as they walked along the trail, the atmosphere somber.

"What made you want to come back so suddenly?" Koji asked lowly, his Suna head protector once again at his neck. All three continued to stare straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact. Yume shrugged.

"If I can find more information on Murabashi, then maybe I can find more information on Samuru; they seem to be linked, somehow." She replied, her Suna head protector fitted around her waist. Koji closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You're avoiding the main question. Why are you so interested in Samuru all of a sudden?" There was a pause before she replied, carefully choosing the right words to convey her thoughts.

"...Usaka came to me earlier today," She said slowly, coming to a stop. The two boys stopped a couple feet in front of her, staring at her intently. "He gave me a cure."

"_What_?" She glanced at Koji calmly.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. So I rejected it." Koji and Zai both tensed before Koji narrowed his eyes.

"Why would you do something so foolish?"

"After the vial was destroyed, I calculated his reaction; it seems that he was serious," She continued, ignoring his comment as she pulled a vial out of her kunai pouch. "Luckily, the vial that I 'destroyed' was just an illusion."

Koji blinked before clearing his throat, averting his eyes while Zai remained silent. His eyes were locked onto the ground for some reason, and she glanced at him before continuing.

"_Anyway_, Usaka said something to me about Murabashi...And that's why I need to go back," She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her chin down, sighing, "If my cure is somehow linked to her, and if she is linked to Samuru, my answers must lie in him." Koji looked back at her, eyes slightly wide in surprise.

"You've thought this out quite well." He commented, but he straightened himself up and his face returned to its normal state, "But why now? I thought today was important to you." Zai glanced over at the other boy while Yume blinked. Quietly, she uncrossed her arms and rested them behind her head while smiling up at the sky.

"Nah, it's just a bunch of matches; only a few would be remotely entertaining anyways." She added lightly, but Koji frowned. However, he didn't say anything to her. Instead, he looked off in the distance, where he could see the woods that they would need to go into. He looked to his right, and saw the gates of Konoha in the distance, along with hearing the faded cheers of the crowd. After a moment, he looked back at her.

"We'll reach the HQ entrance in about an hour. Shall we?" Yume nodded before starting to leave, only for Zai to stop her.

"Before, you said after this to go to Suna," He glanced at her, blue eyes reflecting an emotion that normally wasn't on his face, "Why would you say something like that?" She blinked, not giving a reply. He stared at her now, radiating pain. "Why?" She stared at him, somewhat confused, before looking at Koji, only to see that he, too, had a distant and somber look on his face.

"...We've gone to Suna before. What's the problem?" Yume asked slowly, eyebrows arched. Koji glanced at her before sighing.

"It's just a place that we prefer not to go to now...It has too many memories." He chose his words carefully, hoping she wouldn't press the matter. Naturally, she did.

"Then why are you acting like this now? Before you two seemed fine..." She stated, crossing her arms. Zai gave an angry sigh before ruffling his hair.

"Since when is _anything_ as it seems?"

**//+//**

"File report, hm?" Usaka managed to keep his expression calm, but he could feel his knuckles turning white as he placed his hands on the counter. "Now what does that mean, I wonder..." Akion shrugged and looked over at the bar-tender.

"Just give me two bottles." The bar-tender sighed but nodded, rummaging underneath the counter before producing two sake bottles, handing one to Akion and the other to Usaka. Akion glanced over at the other young man, taking a swing of the alcohol. "It means that you work under the man that I despise." Usaka's lips turned into a thin line as he examined the bottle idly.

"You've been doing your homework on him..." He mumbled before taking a large swing of sake, sighing afterwards. "What have you learned?"

"He wants my student. So, I'm inclined to kill you right now, right on the spot." Usaka actually chuckled before looking over at Akion with a tired smirk.

"Be my guest."

**//+//**

A bird flapped its wings and soared towards the sky, hovering above the two in the arena. One was laying on the ground, unable to move, and the other standing victorious.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Gaara stared down at the blonde, his train of thought suddenly blank in surprise. Behind him, the arena slowly exploded into claps and cheers, but he went unfazed as he gaze was locked on the blonde. The underdog had beaten a child prodigy? And in one punch? Impossible.

Suddenly, he frowned and looked up at the sky, searching through his memory. '_Is this why you watched him so closely during the other Exams?_' After a moment his chest gave a quick, sharp ache and he placed a hand to it, his fingers brushing over the red ribbon that was tied around his sash. He touched the silk again, and the ache in his chest was soothed.

**//+//**

"Just forget about it." Was what Zai had said before walking on ahead, Koji following shortly after. Now Yume was walking behind the two, brow furrowed in thought.

She had decided to respect their privacy, but...How could she not know that the two were uncomfortable? She thought back to the first time they had gone to Suna, as a mission regarding a certain shinobi who had betrayed Samuru. The two had seemed fine; all they did was capture the man in the desert and dispose of him. The second time they were in Suna together they had acted no different; just some running exercises for preparation. There was no way of knowing that the two were uncomfortable in any way. After all, wasn't Suna their hometown, like it was to her?

She made a mental note to look for their files as well as Kisho's once they got back to HQ.

**//+//**

Akion gave Usaka a hard stare before sighing, looking at his own bottle of sake. "I'll regret it later on, I'm sure...But I don't think I want to kill you just yet." Usaka shrugged and went back to the alcohol.

"How admirable." Akion glanced at him before taking a swing of sake.

"What are Boss's plans for my student?" He questioned, and Usaka blinked.

"Boss? You mean Samuru-sama?" Akion nodded with a frown.

"You don't call him that?"

"Can't say I do. But if that's what's in his file, I'll call him that from now on," Usaka said, setting the bottle down, "Kind of an egotistical name, though. What made you hate him so much?" Akion didn't reply for a long moment. Instead, he drank the remaining amount of alcohol that was left in the bottle, his cheeks flushed when he finished.

"He killed a person that I held dear to me." He said lowly, pushing the bottle onto the counter. Usaka eyed him cautiously, making a mental note not to finish his own drink. "That's why I hate him so much."

"...What was her name?" Usaka asked quietly, and Akion looked at him.

"Kairi...Watanabe Kairi." The sadness was evident in his tone, so Usaka said nothing more. The two sat in silence, Akion reaching over to drain Usaka's bottle of sake when he would not touch it. Finally, he spoke, "What're you doing in a crappy bar like this anyway?" He asked, ignoring the scowl of the bartender who was only a few feet away. Usaka lowered his eyes before sighing.

"Same reason as you." Akion blinked before nodding.

"What's her name?" Usaka glanced over at him.

"Yume...Okino Yume."

**//+//**

"Samuru-sama..." Samuru sighed, not bothering to look up from his papers.

"Taji-san, did I not tell you hours ago to leave me be?"

"I'm sorry...But..." Suddenly, there was a crash, and Samuru quickly looked up from his papers. Blinking, he stared at the crumpled form of Taji lying on the ground, having knocked over one of the armchairs in his fall. Samuru clicked his tongue before pressing a button on his desk.

"Akemi, get in here."

"_Hai._" In less than a few seconds, a female blue-nin appeared in the room in front of the desk. She had long, blonde hair that was let down and a blue top that stopped just below her breasts as well as a black skirt. "You called?" She asked sweetly, unaware of Taji's condition. Samuru cleared his throat and pointed behind her, only for her to look and gasp.

"_Taji-kun_!" She cried out, quickly rushing to his side and kneeling beside him. She moved his silver hair away from his eyes gently and felt his forehead. "He's burning up...Samuru-sama, please, alert the medical team! He needs medical attention quickly!" She exclaimed, tracing the large cut across Taji's chest with a finger glowing with green chakra, shielding it from further infection. Samuru raised an eyebrow at her.

"...Did you just order me to do something?" He questioned softly, his eyes flashing. Akemi looked away from Taji and over at Samuru, eyes wide in fear.

"No, Samuru-sama, I didn't mean-" She suddenly stopped as her eyes fixed on his. For a moment, their eyes were locked. And then her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she fell to the ground, her face inches away from Taji's. Groaning, Samuru rubbed at his temples.

'_Fainting just from my chakra...How weak._' Idly, he pressed the button on his desk. "Someone get up here and move Taji-san and Akemi into the medic hall. Their presence is giving me a migraine."

**//+//**

He watched his older sister carefully. She looked like she was in complete control of the situation, and the Nara boy had gone to hide off in the shade of the wall. After Kankuro had forfeited his match against Aburame Shino, Temari's match was moved up since Gaara's own match was reluctantly pushed back.

Gaara let his eyes travel off for a moment, and they swept the arena again. Uchiha still wasn't there. He narrowed his eyes slightly; he was beginning to grow impatient. At first he had wanted to savor the moment of the day, but now he just wanted it to be over.

He wanted the day to be over, and maybe he wanted to return to Suna. Maybe he wanted to drink a cup of tea with someone; maybe he wanted a decent conversation as a side dish.

Maybe he wanted to look into a fearless face one more time. Just maybe...

**//+//**

The boulder opened like a blooming flower, and Zai stretched before jumping on top of one of the stone sections. "So, what's the plan?"

"Straight to the library," Yume stated, jumping on a different section herself, "We find the file and leave as quickly as possible."

"Where do we escape to?" Koji questioned, slipping the head protector back over his eyes as he prepared to jump down the vertical tunnel. Yume blinked before frowning. There was a moment of thought before she replied.

"Zai, you go to Konohagakure. Koji, you go to Kusagakure. It'll be more difficult for us to be found if Samuru catches on." Yume said, getting ready to jump down the tunnel. Zai and Koji exchanged glances before Zai spoke up.

"You...Want us to split up?"

"And into different villages?" Koji added in quietly, bemused by his friend's sudden plan. She looked at them questioningly.

"What? Isn't it safer for us to be separated instead of together?" Zai wanted to protest, but knew that the logic was undeniable. Instead, he just shrugged.

"Whatever you want, Yume." And then he disappeared down the tunnel, leaving Yume and Koji alone. Koji was staring at her behind the head protector, silent. She rubbed the back of her neck quietly, not giving him the grace of an explanation. So, he sighed and disappeared as well, leaving her alone on the boulder in the woods. She sat down on one of the sections of stone that had opened, her legs dangling above the vertical tunnel.

Separation was the safest plan she could think of. She wasn't even sure if Samuru would do anything; she wasn't even sure if the Kisho file was important or not to him. All she knew was that if either of them returned to their hometown without his consent or directly disobeyed him, their lives would be in his hands. Was stealing a file directly disobeying Samuru? She wished she knew; according to Zai, Usaka had signed the contract for her, so she didn't know the rules or regulations. And apparently, she had already broken one part of it, or the tattoo on her back would not have gained chains.

She was growing tired of all of these rules, all of these restrictions. She was growing tired of being **emotionally** restricted as well; she was tired of not being able to sleep at night, and being forced to stay up all alone, only for her to stare at the moon sadly. She was tired of not being able to express emotions to a boy that was in the same situation as her; she was tired of pretending to feel happy when all she felt was a numbing sensation instead.

All in all, she was **so tired**.

So, silently, she made a decision before sliding down the tunnel. A decision she hoped she would not regret.

**//+//**

_"Yukio-san, please, stop!"_

"You again? Do you ever learn?" There was a short gasp as the sound of lightly tearing flesh echoed throughout the hallway. A body staggered back into a wall, and heavy breathing resounded.

"Y-Yukio-san..."

"Please, let me see him!"

"Akemi, I'm sorry, but-" Taji blinked slowly before groaning. There was a light gasp and a few murmurs before he sensed someone at his side.

"Taji-kun? You awake?" He realized that he was on a hospital bed, and concluded that he was in the medic hall. Groaning again, he looked to the side. His cheeks flushed when he saw Akemi squatting beside him, her face relaxing when she saw his open eyes. "Thank goodness..."

"A-Akemi-chan? What are you doing here?" Akemi's smile faded before she touched Taji's arm carefully.

"That doesn't matter; where was the intruder headed?" She asked calmly, and he blinked before looking away. '_Yukio-san..._'

"I'm sorry...I wasn't able to stop him or figure out where he was going." Akemi sighed, but smiled again before pulling up a chair next to Taji's bedside. Gently, she placed her hand over his and leaned forward to give him a light caress of her lips on his forehead.

"At least you're all right. The poison's been extracted from your body, and your wound was stitched up." She informed, and he nodded, cheeks still flushed.

"That's good. Ah!" Taji sat up quickly, looking around. "Has Usaka-san come back yet?!" Akemi blinked in confusion before shaking her head.

"No, not yet. When he does though, Samuru-sama is going to be pissed." Taji looked down at his knees quietly. He knew that when Usaka finally did decide to come back, it wouldn't be a pretty sight. So, he closed his eyes and let his head hit the pillow, hoping that Usaka decided to never come back.

**//+//**

Usaka stared at the toilet bowl, where ink resided inside. He had left the bar fifteen minutes ago upon Akion falling asleep and hearing more cheers from the arena; the second match was over.

The men's bathroom of the Korean barbecue was small and dirty; no one in their right mind would use it. This was perfect for him, for he was allowed privacy as the Sensoujuu fixed his body. A wire protruded from his wrist and hovered over the toilet bowl, were a steady supply of ink dripped out, being drained from his veins and main bloodstream. He could feel himself becoming light-headed; perhaps the ink had contaminated some blood cells, as well?

He watched as the dripping slowly stopped, until no more ink was left in his body. He swallowed as the wire pushed back into his body, back into its spot in his veins. Shaking his arms to get rid of the uneasy feeling, he flushed the toilet with his foot, watching as the ink swirled around before disappearing down into the sewage system. Sighing once every trace of ink was gone, he exited the bathroom and then the restaurant, looking up at the afternoon sun.

It was time to go back.


	23. Drown

"Koji-kun? You're back?" A hand grabbed the older green-nin's face, and chakra leaked out. In a matter of seconds, the body fell to the ground, unconscious, and the younger black-nin stepped over it carefully, shaking his hand. The three had split up, separation making the most logic in this situation. They were to converge at the library, and he was getting close.

Silently, he pulled the body towards the wall, ready to make a genjutsu. However, a black void sudden appeared in the wall, and he jumped back, brow furrowed. "Kiyoshi." He said lowly, eyes shielded by the head protector as he recognized the chakra. Sure enough, Kiyoshi stepped out from behind the corner of a wall, facing the blind one blankly.

"Koji. Weren't you looking for a place to store the body?" Kiyoshi questioned, motioning to the dark void, "Does this not suit your needs?" Koji frowned, straightening himself up.

"This is unlike you."

"Toshi ordered it to be done; his will is my will." Kiyoshi replied, as if that was the only reason one could do something. Koji stared at him for a long moment before sighing and lifting the body into the dark void, which closed off once it was inside completely.

"So, you know of Yume's plans?" Kiyoshi stared blankly before shaking his head, ice blue eyes bored.

"No, and neither does Toshi. But he has never needed a reason before." Koji's lips parted in slight surprise, but they closed after a moment and he began to walk past the fellow black-nin.

"_Arigato_." Kiyoshi closed his eyes as Koji passed him, only to turn around and grab his shoulder roughly.

"You shouldn't thank me just yet." Koji tensed before spinning around, just avoiding Kiyoshi's fist that had been engulfed by darkness. Koji jumped away until there was a good distance between the two, brow furrowed. Kiyoshi sighed, cracking his knuckles before looking at the other, expression blank. "I was only ordered to move the body out of harm's way; my other order was to stop you at all costs." Koji scowled before relaxing his face, reaching behind his head.

"Well, consider yourself lucky, Kiyoshi," Koji said, untying the knot of his head protector so that it fell to his neck, "You will be the first that I've fought without my handicap."

The head protector then fell to the ground, the metal making an echoing sound against the floor.

**//+//**

Zai pressed himself up against the wall, peeking around the corner before dashing down the hall, making sure to sweep his eyes over every part of the hallway. It was deserted.

Of course, he was the one that was the farthest from the library; Koji should be the closest, and Yume would follow up after him. He was the safety; he was the one to take out any new arrivers that came on the scene after Yume. It was always like this, for he had the strongest taijutsu abilities in the group; he didn't have to use much chakra and had the most saved up, in other words.

However, he did have to use chakra to glue his feet to the ground when a shadowy figure suddenly stepped a few feet in front of him, blocking his way.

"Well, I must be pretty lucky; now I don't have to waste time looking for you." Zai blinked before a relaxed grin came onto his face.

"Yo, Toshi. For a second I thought-" Zai's eyes widened before he jumped to the side, just missing a pair of kunai that exploded where he once stood. Eyes still wide, he looked over at Toshi in confusion, only to see him lower his sunglasses and smirk.

"Kiyoshi and I have been in serious training ever since you healed our wounds, Zai; so, thanks for that." Toshi said before raising his arms, the ground beginning to shake, "_ Now, let me bury you in my gratitude_!"

Zai stumbled as the ground began to shake more violently, and his eyes fell to the ground as it began to slowly break. Frantically, he looked around for something stable, only to find that the earthen ceiling was beginning to crumble. Swallowing, he stepped back as a large crack began in the floor, and he looked back at Toshi venomously. Panic was replaced by anger, and worry replaced with recklessness.

Blue eyes flashed as he swung his right arm in a circle, trying to get all of the kinks out of it. "Finally, someone I don't have to hold back on." He said coyly, moving his other arm in a circle now. In this action, his head protector grew loose and fell to the ground, the metal facing the ceiling.

The head protector was then covered by a clump of dirt from the ceiling, the metal becoming tarnished.

**//+//**

Yume frowned as she scanned the hallway; it was deserted. That wasn't normal, for this hallway led to the cafeteria, library, and the bath house; it should be crowded. Still frowning, she cautiously ran down the hall, keeping her eyes wide open as to not miss a single detail. It was easy for her to stop suddenly, using chakra to help glue her feet to the ground. Quickly, she looked around, once again finding the area empty.

Her eyes widened slightly before she jumped backwards, just as jagged wires shot up from the ground. Sliding back, wires jutted out of her arm to block short ones that flew towards her.

"You're using the Sensoujuu against _me_, Yume-chan?" Yume swallowed before darting to the side and turning just in time to push back more wires with her own. "Have you forgotten our little run-in _already_?" She scowled, breaking away from the opposing wires before flicking her wrist, causing her own thin needle to be thrown into a section of the wall. She watched as the genjutsu faded away, revealing a scowling Yukio with the wire just above his shoulder, just scratching him. She smirked.

"You're lucky; I wasn't aiming correctly that time." His eyes widened, but only for a moment, as he pushed himself away from the wall, letting his arms fall back to his sides.

"You think you can take your older brother on, Yume-chan?" Yukio questioned slyly, spreading one foot in front of the other and raising his hands in an offensive position. However, his stance faltered in surprise when he watched her move into an offensive position as well. '_This..._'

"Remember, Yukio," Yume's smirk widened, "We're only _half-siblings_."

And she charged, her head protector slipping from her waist and onto the floor, where it landed in a patch of wires which scratched at the metal relentlessly.

**//+//**

Gaara grinned sadistically down at Uchiha Sasuke, all other thoughts wiped from his mind. He suddenly forgot about wanting to get the day over, about sharing a cup of tea with someone. His entire focus was now on Sasuke, who had finally arrived, and his eyes flashed.

He was going to savor _every single second_.

He hadn't heard what his siblings were saying; all he did was give one last look towards the arena before turning and walking down the staircase, and into a familiar hallway. He walked along it, and slowly, his grin faded. He stopped in the middle and looked at the ground; everything was now rushing back.

"Stop." That was idiotic; hadn't he already halted in movement? He raised his head to stare at two foreign shinobi from Kusagakure, the Grass. "These low level tournaments like the Chuunin Exam are great for betting," One stated while something in Gaara's mind began to itch, "Many ministers are here for that."

"And so," The other one continued, as if trying to sound cool by following directly after his partner, "This fight...Could you lose it?" However, words were ignored; sand was already flowing from Gaara's gourd, and his eyes flashed maniacally.

The itching only ceased when blood painted the hallway in splatters.

**//+//**

Koji bent over backwards and watched in what seemed as slow-motion as Kiyoshi's fist passed over him. Easily, Koji grabbed on to the exposed arm and pulled Kiyoshi over him while finished his back flip, almost landing on Kiyoshi's stomach. Instead, Koji was forced to jump to the side when a dark void replaced where Kiyoshi had once lain. Koji blinked before again moving to the side, just avoiding a hand that shot up from the ground.

Unknowingly, he walked right into the trap.

"_Minage in Omoide no jutsu._" Koji's eyes widened as visible, blood red chakra suddenly shot from up the ground, surrounded him in a dome as Kiyoshi resurfaced from the ground outside. His hands were together in the tiger seal, and his eyes were closed in concentration. Koji calmly looked around and tried to analyze the situation. Cautiously, he started to walk towards the edge of the chakra dome, only to stop when the dome flashed and turned black. Suddenly, it was as if a hidden projector was playing a video on the chakra walls, and Koji's eyes widened as he swallowed.

"_Koji-kun, take your blindfold off at the table._"

"_Yes, okkasan._"

He watched the chakra walls as it reflected old memories of his childhood. Painful memories.

_It was raining out, and a small boy silently walked through the streets of Suna, a dark blindfold covering his eyes. He stopped in the middle of the street and moved his head to the side, apparently looking into the small window of a tavern. He didn't need to see it; he could sense his father and his unfaithfulness as clearly as his chakra signal, which he had forgotten to hide once again. The boy turned away and continued to walk. 'Does otou-san think mother and I are stupid? She can sense him from home...'_

Koji closed his eyes and tried to turn away. Somehow, though, he found that he could not. Reopening his eyes, he looked down only to frown and curse in his mind; while he had been transfixed by the scenes of memories, chains made from darkness had sprouted from the ground and wrapped themselves around his ankles and waist. He grunted when the chains suddenly pulled down, and he tried to fight back, but ended up falling onto his knees anyways, the chains now moving up to wrap around his hands.

"_Kai._" This had to be a genjutsu; it was the only logical explanation. However, the scenes didn't fade away. Shocked, Koji forced his hands together in the right seal again, "_**Kai**_."

No reaction.

_"Koji-kun, you're so strong. Just like your father." The woman placed a loving hand on the boy's head, only for him to slowly pull away._

"...Don't compare me to him." The woman stared at him, but she wasn't surprised. Instead, she looked as relaxed as ever. Sighing, she knelt in front of him, placing a hand on his pale cheek.

"I know...But your father needs us; he's just been having a rough time."

"...And that gives him the right to hurt you?" She blinked at the seven-year-old's strong sense of justice, but she smiled and pulled the blindfold off, revealing two brilliant green eyes.

"I'm not hurt, sweetie. Your father's just been having a tough time and needs to our support, okay?" The boy blinked and looked away, not saying anything. The woman sighed and her face finally fell before she stood up. "I understand. I just wish you could love your father like I do."

"...I don't."

"_Kai, kai, __**kai**_!" Koji was beginning to loose his composure as he desperately tried to cancel this "genjutsu", only to fail every time. Suddenly, his breathing hitched and he looked down to find that the chains had grown thicker and were now beginning to wrap around his throat.

He began to understand why this jutsu was called the "Memory Drowning" jutsu.

**//+//**

_Boom!_

Zai scowled deeply as he held onto his left forearm; it had been caught in an explosion. Toshi grinned widely, twirling a kunai around the thin blade that protruded from his fingertip. One thin katana blade protruded from each of his fingertips, and Zai narrowed his eyes; Toshi must have hidden this part of his technique.

"You like them? I had Taji put them in my body after we returned from Konoha. I think it's an improvement," Toshi paused to whip the kunai at Zai, who could barely move out of the way by its new speed, "Don't you?"

"I think you're insane." Zai growled, rubbing his palms together before pulling them way, and stream of visible blue chakra following his hand movements. Inhaling, he moved himself into an offensive stance, while Toshi smiled cheekily and moved into a defensive stance.

"You think you can beat us? We've had way more experience than you." It was true; both Toshi and Kiyoshi were at least two years older than Zai and Koji. But, Zai rolled his eyes.

"Sitting around in a room all day doesn't count as experience." He retorted, and Toshi's eyes flashed behind his sunglasses. Growling, he suddenly darted, abandoning his defensive stance. Zai's brow furrowed before he charged as well, making note of the sharp blades that seemed to glitter at him. Just before the steel was able to pierce his skin, Zai spun and managed to slam his palm into Toshi's midsection.

Zai's chakra left his hand and was transferred to Toshi's body, by the mere contact of his hand. Toshi jumped away, swallowing as he covered his stomach with his hands, the blades slowly falling back into his fingertips. Zai grinned.

"I disabled the mechanics in your body that pushed the blades out; try using them now." Toshi blinked in confusion before slowly smirking, kneeling down on one knee.

"Good move. You have my _undying_ respect." Toshi drawled as he placed his hands on the ground, smirking as Zai watched, petrified, as they sunk down into the earth. Zai cautiously took a few steps back when the ground began to shake again, but with more energy than before. Suddenly, walls of earth shot up around him, enclosing him in a tight, earthen cylinder. Zai's eyebrows shot up as he looked straight up, only for his eyes to widen; Toshi stood on the top, staring down at him with a wild grin.

"What? I thought you were good in close-combat...Or," Toshi paused to jump down, making Zai back up into the wall so as not to be landed on, "Is this too close for you?" Zai blinked before laughing and rubbing his palms together, more visible chakra leaking out.

"Actually, it's kind of far for my taste." Zai commented before charging, only to come up short. Toshi's grin widened as he watched Zai look around frantically, looking down to see his legs sinking into the ground.

"You're so naive, Zai." Toshi said with a sigh, his grin fading as he leaned against the earthen wall. Zai blinked in confusion as he desperately tried to pull his legs out of the ground, failing miserably. "Your weight is what's making it so hard to get loose." Zai scowled.

"Impossible." Toshi stared at him for a moment before yawning and pretending to examine his fingernails.

"I wonder if Koji is dead by now. Maybe Kiyoshi is playing with him..." Zai's eyes widened and he struggled again, but with more vigor. He managed to pull his left leg out by a couple of inches, only to stop at Toshi's words.

"How would Yume-chan feel if Koji died, just because you weren't strong enough to save him?" Zai's eyes flashed, but he gave a short yell when he suddenly plunged into the earth, stopping when the ground was up to his knees. Frantically, he looked up at Toshi, who grinned again. "You'll sink sooner or later, but just incase, the earth will slowly tighten and break every bone in your body." He then turned around and ran up the earthen wall, stopping at the top to look down at Zai, who had just sunk another two inches. "I'm sure Yume-chan won't mind losing some dead weight."

Zai growled before sinking again, half of his torso now stuck in the earth. He continued to glare, even as Toshi disappeared. Growling, he tried to move, but to no avail. He winced as he felt the earth tighten around him.

'_...Am I really just dead weight?_'

**//+//**

He was surprised.

She never took the offensive in all the years that he had known her; not once. She was always defending herself, just exerting enough energy to protect her own body and stay alive. Should he be proud of his younger half-sibling for overcoming this? Should he be **proud** that **he** was now on the defensive side, blocking fists and wires in a daze? He didn't know; after all, he was only there for six years of her life. The other six...Who knows how much she could have changed? Maybe this wasn't a change at all; maybe she was always like this, always pushing forward. He couldn't remember; he couldn't even remember teaching her how to throw her first kunai knife.

'_I'm such a bad person._' He told himself. The perverse part was that he slowly smirked, proud of himself for some reason. '_She hates me and I __**love**__ it._'

Her hissing interrupted his thoughts, and he was forced to jump back as she tried to swipe at him, wires protruding from her palms and wrists. Swiftly, she moved her feet in an elegant fashion, able to place one foot in-between his two and move to slam her palm upwards into his chest. That was where she made her first mistake.

"Mistake number one." Yukio grinned as he quickly whipped his kamas around her right wrist, the chain digging into her skin. Yume's eyes widened before she tried to jump back, pulling on the chain. However, she could only move her feet, and her arm remained stretched out. This was her second mistake. "Mistake number two." Yukio's grin widened as the blade of one of his kamas suddenly dug into her exposed arm, the wire from her wrist focused on cutting the chain. She winced and bit her tongue as the blade dug deeper. She felt a hot sensation suddenly flood her arm, and she screamed.

"_AHHH!_" She fell to her knees, pulling her arm to her chest, which caused the blade to be yanked out. The chain slowly slithered off of her arm and Yukio whipped it back towards him, catching it in one hand expertly.

"Pure snake venom from a Death Adder, compliments of Orochimaru-sama himself." Yukio grinned as Yume scowled up at him, still holding her arm close to her chest. "You can't move your arm now, can you?" She stared at him before looking away. It was true; her arm had now become a numb piece of meat.

"Damn it..." She cursed before forcing herself onto her feet, her arm dangling uselessly by her side. '_Now what?_' Inhaling, she relaxed her shoulders and brought her capable arm up. After a moment of silence, her eyes shot open and her free hand began to do a series of one-handed seals. Yukio blinked before scowling and hastily swigging one end of his kamas in a circle, trying to pick up speed.

"Like I'm gonna let you attack!" He exclaimed before charging, ready to pull down the blade upon her slightly bent head. The distance closed quickly, but she felt as if everything was going in slow-motion. Easily, she had finished the strand of hand seals and pushed her palm out.

"_Sen hirate, 1000 shibousha_."

The second before he swung the blade down, a seemingly unlimited supply of wires shot out of her palm. He stared straight ahead, eyes blank for a moment. Suddenly, he felt his body twitch and he looked down, eyes glazed over. The wires were embedded in his side, just missing a vital point. Slowly, he looked back over to see her face contorted with surprise and fear for missing at point-blank. "No..."

"Mistake number three." Yukio smirked and swung down the blade. Yume watched as the blade made its way down towards her head; everything still seemed to be in slow-motion. In a daze, she stepped to the side, staring as the kama swung down until it was level with her hip. With remarkable speed, she grabbed a hold of it, turning to stare a paralyzed Yukio in the eye.

"...Mistake?" She slowly smiled as wires spread from her fingertips over onto the kama, and her eyes flashed as the wires crushed the weapon in half. "Is that what you call it?" Yukio set his jaw as he jumped back, leaving the other half of his weapon behind. Growling, he placed a hand over the side that had been mutilated by wires; it stung.

"Impossible...Your right arm is your dominant arm, isn't it?!" Yume blinked before smirking, flexing her left fingers.

"Another person thought that, too," She said, staring at her left hand. It was smooth and pale, unlike her right hand which was still tainted with burn marks. "You don't know this, but during my training, I was trained by Koji to use both hands at an equal level." Her smirk widened, "Literally, I can beat you with _one hand behind my back_."

**//+//**

A sphere of sand stood in the arena as Uchiha Sasuke analyzed it. In the crowd, Murabashi Kaya frowned as she looked around the stands.

"Keij...What's with all of the Suna-nin?" She asked quietly, noting the large amount of Sand shinobi that were carefully spread out in the stands. Keij frowned from his spot next to her and looked over to Zane.

"You notice anything on the way here?" Zane blinked before frowning as well, thinking. After a moment, he slammed his fist into his palm.

"Actually, I did notice a lot of ANBU around. And some Sound-nins were around the outskirts of the woods, but...It didn't seem suspicious..." Zane finished slowly, rubbing his neck sheepishly as Keij glowered at him.

"Foreign shinobi surrounding the area where most of the current population is isn't suspicious?"

"...I don't like this. Come on, we need to talk to Akion-sensei." Kaya said, standing up. Keij blinked before sighing and following suit, cautiously looking around as he led her out of the stands, Zane bringing up the rear.

Something was definitely wrong.

**//+//**

_A boy sat in the middle of the floor, the blindfold still over his eyes as he traced his hands over various items._

"Shuriken, Sunagakure. Kunai, Konohagakure. Sickle and chain, Amegakure..." A man walked into the room, but paused at seeing his son sitting on the ground. Smiling gently, he leaned against the doorway and quietly observed. The boy paused in his movements and he turned his head directly to the man. "Chakra signal, loud footsteps...What do you want, otou-san?" The man blinked in surprise before laughing.

"Koji-kun is so bright at such a tender age! You must get the genes from me." The boy quickly frowned.

"...No, I don't. I only received these appearances from you. Don't take credit where credit is not due, otou-san." The man stared in shock at his son before sighing and exiting the room.

"He still hates me..."

Koji choked as the chains tightened around his throat, and he felt his eyes scrunch up. "Koji-kun, relax. Allow yourself to drown in your memories; aren't you used to them by now?" He forced his eyes open to see Kiyoshi through the red chakra dome, hands still together in that seal, but his chanting had ceased. "I no longer need to focus anymore chakra on this; the chains will kill you and you'll fall into my darkness." He paused to move some silver hair away from ice blue eyes, "I'll show mercy and try to make it as painless as possible."

'_How is he able to keep this up without exerting anymore chakra?_' Koji pondered, trying to keep his head up as high as possible to increase its distance from the chains. Kiyoshi watched him quietly before shaking his head, removing his hands from the seal; however, the chakra dome remained as it was.

"You can't appreciate the good things that have happened in your life, Koji-kun. You are always brought down by the bad." Koji blinked before frowning.

"How are you justified to say that to me? Have you ever thought about yourself...?" Kiyoshi stared before looking away.

"But I don't drown in them, unlike you." Koji stared at the other for a long moment, brow furrowed. Then, his eyes widened.

'_That's it!_'


	24. Decision

'_...I see._' Koji repeated in his mind, as he closed his eyes. "This is a good jutsu, Kiyoshi." He admitted, and Kiyoshi blinked before frowning. After a moment, Koji reopened his eyes and stared at him with a small smile. "Your chakra pulls out not memories, but thoughts...Right?" Kiyoshi scowled.

"You're the first to figure it out." Koji smiled fully, but it was quickly ripped from his face as chains tightened around his throat, forcefully choking him. "But it's too late, Koji-kun."

'_No...How can it be too late?!_'

Kiyoshi watched in satisfaction as the chains pulled Koji closer to the ground, so that his face was inches away from it. However, his satisfaction faded as he noted that the chakra walls were switching scenes.

_"You should use both hands, Yume; it'll be useful in the future."_

"Hm, okay." A boy blinded now by a Sunagakure head protector frowned slightly as he adjusted a girl's posture, moving her shoulders back.

"This posture will give you more speed and accuracy." The girl blinked before sighing and flicked a kunai knife towards the target, pin-pointing it in the center.

"I got it, Koji-kun."

"You used your right hand; try it with your left." The girl frowned before nodding unsteadily and flicking her left wrist. Surprisingly, the kunai hit just below the second, still in the majority of the center.

"Koji-kun, I did it! Look at that!" The boy gazed over at the target before looking back at the girl with a small smile.

"Impressive."

Koji smirked as he felt the chains loosen a little. Kiyoshi scowled and immediately went into the tiger seal. The chains tightened around Koji again, but they had fallen back to his waist and were away from his neck.

_"__**KOJI**__!"_

A blinded boy lurched forward as another one made an attempt to tackle him. However, the blinded one barely moved his feet. "Ow, ow, ow..." The other boy fell to the ground, holding his nose which had crushed up against the blinded one's back from his failed attempt. "Why can't you fall down just once?!"

"Tch...Then you'd stop trying." The blinded one replied before pulling the other boy up by the collar of his shirt. The other one blinked before grinning sheepishly.

"Oh? So you _**do**__ like me?"_

"...Don't flatter yourself." The blinded one replied smoothly, letting the boy go once he was on his feet. The other boy's grin widened.

"_**That means 'yes'**__!" The blinded one shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips._

"Disgusting..." Kiyoshi mumbled, eyes narrowed as he now forced his chakra into the chains that enclosed Koji, only for his eyes to widen as they suddenly dissolved. "Impossible..." Koji smirked widely as he stood up, freed of the chains, and pushed his hands through the chakra wall, mutilating the scene of his younger self. The chakra flickered before fading away, allowing him to step forward coyly.

"Now, where were we?"

**//+//**

'_Dead weight...Me?! But...I'm always there for them! How can I be..._'

_"I'm sure Yume-chan won't mind losing some dead weight."_

Zai growled, slamming his hands on the ground at his sides; slowly but surely, he was sinking even faster. Yet, that wasn't his main focus. '_Dead weight?!! When?!_' He yelled inside his mind, trying to remember one time that he had not been able to help. And then, slowly, realization clicked in his mind and he felt his lungs deflate.

'_All those times...Was I a burden to her?_'

_"Y-Yume..." She didn't bother to look away from the moving target. Carefully, she threw a kunai from her left hand to hit the target in its center._

"Yeah?" He inhaled; he was going to tell her. It wouldn't mean anything to her now, he knew, but he had to say it at least once.

"I...Well, I mean, you..." She frowned before throwing her last kunai, it hitting a higher target near the ceiling, before turning towards him.

"_**Yeah**__?"_

"_**I think I love you**__." He blurted out, feeling sick to the stomach. He wanted to cringe at her expression, for it was just a distant stare. She stared at him like this for a long moment before looking away._

"Okay." She replied quietly before leaving the room, her back to him. He watched her retreat before sighing and hitting himself in the forehead.

'Damn it...'

"How could I be so stupid...?" He questioned out loud, fingers digging into the earth. "I must've made it so hard for her to deal with it..."

_"Yo." She glanced at him before smiling._

"Hey." He slid besides her, leaning against the railing of a balcony that overlooked Sunagakure. He didn't like being here, but he wanted to follow her. It seemed to be his purpose in life.

"You send the report to Samuru?" He inquired, striking up a conversation. She nodded, cupping her chin in her hand as she stared down at the road. It was night, so they were deserted. He blinked when she didn't say anything, and he tried again, "So, where's Koji?"

"He left early. He said he wasn't feeling too well." She replied, and he gave an 'oh' before nodding. There was a spacious silence. Then, swallowing nervously, he inched his arm closer to hers. When they touched, she blinked before scooting away. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment before he looked out to the sky.

"...I _**do**__ care about you...A lot." He said quietly, taking another risk. She sighed, staring up at the moon._

"...I know."

He had sunk even lower, the earth reaching up to his chest, his arms resting above the ground. "I got to stop." He mumbled to himself. "I got to stop making this hard for her." The earth that had begun to tighten around him suddenly loosened, and he blinked before grinning. Inhaling, he pushed himself up with his arms, slowly raising himself above the earth. After a few moments, he was standing, dusting himself off. Grinning, he looked up to the top of the earth walls and rubbed his hands together.

"And I'll start by beating the shit outta Toshi."

**//+//**

Yume smirked in bloodlust as she brought her left arm down swiftly, sharp wires protruding from her elbow joint. Yukio swallowed before dodging to the side, only to duck as she swiped at his head.

"I see you've developed a liking to fighting." He said coyly, trying to act as a distraction. However, her smirk just widened and she expertly twisted the wires around her entire arm; a minor contact could be his downfall. His brow furrowed as he increased the distance from her, flexing his empty fingers; he was unaccustomed to not having his kamas in his hands. "What're you going to do, Yume-chan? Kill me?" He asked slyly, crossing his arms as he smiled cheekily, trying a new tactic. "You really want to kill your brother?"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Yume disappeared for a millisecond, using the chakra in her feet to slide suddenly up behind Yukio. "We're only _half-siblings_." She missed hitting his back by a fraction of a second, his speed almost matching her own as he spun around and blocked with his own arm, which now had wires protruding from it as well. Wires pushed against each other, and Yukio smirked as he inched forward, slowly overpowering her. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she pushed back, her capable arm straining to push the larger weight away.

It was just another struggle for power. A struggle both were determined to win.

"Oh, where'd this strength come from?" Yukio asked with a slow grin as she growled, pushing him back an inch. "Hanging around that jinchuuriki must've changed you." At this last comment, her eyes narrowed and she suddenly surged forward, being able to knock him right off his feet. Surprised, he couldn't catch himself and skidded across the floor, arms over his face as she hastily flicked wires at him. He flinched as the wires dug into the arm that was unprotected as he finally came to a stop, his back slamming up against the wall. However, this only made it easier for her to pin him up against it with more metal wires; one piercing both shoulder blades.

"_Shut up._" His eyes widened as she stared at him, slowly walking over. He tried to move, but could only flinch; the wires must have hit a bone. "Don't even _imply_ his name when you're fighting me." Her voice was low and her eyes narrowed in a spiteful glare. He blinked at her before slowly smirking; this would be her downfall.

"Oh, I see. You're trying to forget about him." She stopped in front of him, staring down as if she had been stricken in the face. "You can't **really** feel for him, and it's impossible that he feels anything for you. Am I right?" Yukio pressed on, "You just want to forget about him because he's like _you_."

"_**Shut up!**_" Yume screamed, pulling her arm back to deliver the final blow as Yukio's face paled. However, as she went to drive her fist through his damned skull, she found that her arm wouldn't move.

"Stop picking on your brother, Yume." Her eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder. A face with a small smile stared at her.

"Usaka."

**//+//**

Kiyoshi blocked Koji's punch with his hand, only to be kicked at the side. Caught off guard, he stumbled forward, allowing Koji's fist to firmly make contact with his forehead. Kiyoshi's eyes widened as he was sent hurtling backwards at the force, only to close his eyes as a dark void appeared in the air and swallowed him in its depths, it closing up immediately afterwards. Koji blinked before cautiously looking around the hallway; it was empty. He hesitated before taking a step forward, only to jump backwards when a hand shot up from the ground. Landing a few feet back, Koji's brow furrowed as he formed his hands into various hand seals, watching as Kiyoshi was pushed up from underneath the ground, eyes closed.

'_That was my only powerful jutsu...What now?_' Kiyoshi pondered to himself idly, eyes only half-opened as he suddenly charged. '_Oh, well._'

Koji inhaled before moving his hands forward, "_Kaze yari._" Kiyoshi blinked as wind began to swirl in the center of Koji's hands, only to suddenly surge into the shape of a long spear. Kiyoshi moved to dodge, but the velocity that he had been running at made it hard for him to change direction so quickly.

The wind spear caught him right in the shoulder. He let out a gasp of choked air as the spear slammed into the wall a few feet behind him, piercing him to it. It was a strange feeling; the wind was moving quickly in spirals, which had formed the spear shape, and the feeling of it moving around continuously in his flesh caused him to wince. He felt his breathing go heavy, and he looked down to see a fine trickle of blood forming from his shoulder. '_Oh..._'

"I'm sorry." He blinked and looked up to see Koji staring down at him, but with his head protector tied around his eyes once more. Inwardly, Kiyoshi frowned at the insult. "Don't get in the way again; I will be forced to kill you." Kiyoshi looked away, eyes half-lidded.

"...I should be the one who's sorry." Koji's lips thinned as Kiyoshi flinched before putting a hand around the spear, trying to get a good grip on it. Inhaling, he grunted before yanking it out, the spear disappearing once it was out of his flesh. Kiyoshi forced himself up, using the wall as a balance before raising his eyes to meet Koji's head protector. "If I let you pass, that will be against-" He was cut off by a loud gasp, and Koji looked away as he pulled his fist away from the elder's stomach. Kiyoshi sunk to the ground, the breath knocked out of him.

Koji then began to turn away, but looked back at the silver-haired teen. The side of his face was pressed up against the ground, and his breaths were deep and wheezy. Koji sighed before turning away, "I guess we're alike; we both have someone that we want to follow completely." He then placed his hands into the pockets of his jacket before walking off, "But there are times when it is hard to do."

Kiyoshi blinked blankly before his lips twitched upwards. '_No...Following his orders is never hard._'

**//+//**

Toshi blinked before suddenly bending backwards, just in time to dodge a kunai knife that flew over him. Frowning, he straightened back up and looked over his shoulder. "You?!"

Zai smirked before steadying his arms in the correction position and charging, "Surprised?" Toshi slowly grinned before fully turning around, a kunai slipping into his hand from his sleeve. He blocked Zai's assault just in time, pushing the kunai against him. He paused, however, when Zai didn't flinch at the steel slightly digging into his skin. Zai noticed and his smirk widened, "Is this supposed to hurt?"

Toshi's eyes flashed for a moment, only for them to widen as he felt himself being pushed back. Quickly, he glanced down at his feet; they were slowly sliding backwards. '_What the hell?! I left him in a hole for twenty minutes and he suddenly gets five times stronger?!_'

"_Kobushi Senshi no jutsu_." Toshi's eyes widened even more as Zai's fingertips glowed a bright blue. Toshi quickly backed away, moving into a defensive stance as Zai flexed his fingers. In the second that Toshi had dropped his guard to think, Zai had disappeared.

Toshi blinked before suddenly lurching forward, his lungs deflating as he felt fingertips slam into his back. Chakra rushed into his body, and he convulsed violently as he felt skin that was not his own pierce his back. Behind him, Zai smirked as he felt his fingers slide an inch into the other's flesh, rapidly pulling them out after a moment. Toshi fell forward, the sudden wound paralyzing him, and hit the floor roughly, his face to the side as he breathed like a fish out of water. Zai's smirk faded, however, as he stared down at the elder quietly.

"...Why'd you have to go and turn on us?" He blinked before realizing that it was Toshi's wheezing voice that had asked him the question. "I always thought...We were friends..." Zai's eyes lowered before he turned away.

"We were." And he walked away, only pausing to pick up the head protector from the ground, dusting the earth off. He stared into the metal for a long moment before looking back over his shoulder; Toshi was struggling to get up, only to fall back down with a scowl. Silently, Zai tied the head protector around his left forearm securely before walking off into the distance, leaving Toshi to growl at the dirt.

'_Samuru was right...They're all just __**traitors**_.'

**//+//**

"What the hell are you doing here?" Yukio asked harshly, not bothering to move; struggling only made the wires more difficult to bear. Yume yanked her arm out of Usaka's grip, turning around quickly.

"Why are you here?" Usaka smiled slowly, taking a few steps back to add distance.

"Were you looking for this, Yume?" He ignored their questions as he pulled out a manila folder, filled with papers and what looked like clipped photographs. Yume stared at it for a long moment before directing her gaze back at Usaka.

"How did you get that?" She snapped, causing him to blink before cautiously tucking the file underneath his arm.

"It's not that difficult; while you were distracting him," Usaka paused to glance down at Yukio, who growled, "I swiped it. Simple, actually."

"Give it to me." Her demand was quick and sharp-tongued. "_Now_." He stared at her, his jaw slack; he hadn't realized that the file was this important.

"Patience, patience." Usaka scolded lightly, only to quickly jump back as Yume raised her hand, palm down. Gradually, multiple wires slithered out of her palm and wound themselves together to make some type of blade before a guard and handle was produced. Grasping the new blade tightly, Yume pointed it at Usaka with a furrowed brow.

"Everything is in that file; I **will** kill you for it." Usaka's eyes widened before he frowned, about to say something.

"What're you talking about? That Kisho guy is dead; what use is his file?" Yume froze. Then, she turned to Yukio and pressed her blade close to his neck, eyes flashing.

"You read it?!"

"Yeah. He's Samuru's dead, older brother." Yukio replied coolly, inwardly shaking as the wire blade was pressed close to his throat. However, Usaka shook his head as he suddenly raised his arms, eyes narrowed. Wires sprouted from the ground at his arm movements, and Yume jumped back as they made a swipe at her. Gritting her teeth, she blocked one set of wires with her blade while using her free hand to push the other set back with the Sensoujuu.

"What are you doing?!" She yelled furiously, her eyes flashing dangerously. He blinked before pushing forward, his wires pressing against her with more strength. Swearing, she found herself on one knee as she tried to hold the metal back. He looked over at Yukio, doing a few one-handed seals; after a moment, the wires that had held him in place disappeared, and Yukio stood up in a daze.

"...Hell..." He mumbled, rubbing his shoulder as he looked down at Yume, who was desperately pushing against the Sensoujuu with as much energy as possible. He smirked at her before glancing at Usaka. "You gonna give it to me or what?" Usaka grunted before throwing the file over to Yukio, who caught it in one hand. Yume looked over at Usaka, desperate and confused.

"What..."

"Sorry, Yume-chan." Yukio grinned, holding the file to his side, which still ached. "You lose." And with that, he disappeared, with file and all.

She felt as if she had been hit in the stomach.

"**AHHHH!!**" She screamed against the waves of wires that suddenly seemed to swallow her, and she kicked furiously and swung her blade furiously. "**NO!**" Usaka frowned as he pushed his hands down forcefully before letting them rest at his sides, the wires suddenly pressing her body down to the ground and holding her there. However, she kept struggling.

"Stop." She blinked, raising her head as high as possible to glare him in the eye.

"_Why?!_ Why do you want to make me so **miserable**!?" Usaka looked away before reaching into his vest, pulling out a thin folder. Her breathing stopped as she laid her eyes on it. Harshly, he threw it to the ground, the wires slowly sliding off her body as he did so.

"You want the truth, so here it is." He said lowly, "It's here for you to take." She sat up slowly in awe, jaw slack. "But, you have to decide," He continued on, eyes set on her. "There's a situation in Konohagakure that I'm sure you're aware of." She swallowed. "You can take the information and run away...Or you can leave it here and go to Konoha with your friends. You can leave this place forever, but without the information and without another cure."

She stared at him. After a moment, she stood up. The decision was so easy; one had everything she had wanted, and the other just a part time interest. She looked up at him for a moment before smiling and throwing her blade down towards the ground. He jumped back in defense, only to blink when he saw that the weapon had landed in the middle of the file, ripping through it completely.

"You forgot one thing, Usaka." Yume said lightly, pulling a crystal vial out of her kunai patch. His eyes widened at the sight of the liquid inside.

"I'll be leaving this place with at least _something_."

**//+//**

Kaya frowned as she scooted closer to Zane and Keij, hands out in a defensive position as six Suna-nin surrounded them.

"So, Sunagakure and Otogakure are attacking Konoha?" Keij inquired lowly, turning his head towards Kaya, who nodded grimly.

"Looks like it."

"And the Kazekage was really killed by Orochimaru?" Zane asked, brow furrowed.

"Yeah."

"And that idiot Team 7 is running after that Gaara guy?" He asked again, and she shrugged.

"I heard Nara went too."

"Hn. They should've sent us." Keij said lowly, hands together in a hand seal. A sharp icicle shot up and caught one approaching Suna-nin by his leg, piercing him in a way that he couldn't move. Kaya laughed, tilting her head.

"Nah. This will be more fun."

**//+//**

_A large, raccoon-like creature made of sand stood in the forest, towering over the high treetops easily. A long tail flipped upwards behind it, and its eyes were deepest of blacks._

A lightly bruised Koji looked over at Yume, who was sitting on a distant tree branch, staring at the sky. They had left the headquarters a good twenty minutes ago without any course of action, even though they could feel the immense chakra from Konohagakure. Zai was sitting in the branch below her, and Koji himself the branch across.

"So...It's started." Yume suddenly said quietly, closing her eyes. Zai glanced up at her before sighing while Koji lowered his head.

"...You knew about the attack?" She nodded, eyes still closed.

"He transformed, didn't he...?" Zai frowned.

"Yeah. So what?" Yume reopened her eyes before standing up, looking out to the direction of Konohagakure. In the distance, she could just make out the large creature. '_His chakra signal is still there...But it's swallowed by the Shukaku's..._'

"What do you want to do, Yume?" Koji asked patiently, and she blinked before frowning, the hairs on her neck prickling. She sensed an adequate amount of chakra closer by, near the outskirts of Konoha. However, she smirked as she recognized the signal.

"Time to help Kaya-Neesan."


	25. With You

"Kaya!"

"Right!"

Keij sprinted towards a new array of a mixture of Suna-nin and Sound-nin, keeping low. Kaya sprinted behind him, arms behind her as her brow furrowed. Once close enough, Keij slid his feet in-between a Suna-nin's legs and did a quick uppercut, sending the older man into the air. Kaya inhaled before jumping onto Keij's back, bending her knees before jumping high into the air to meet the Suna-nin. A hand engulfed by water slammed into the man's face, the water rushing into his open mouth, choking him.

Smirking, she fell back, landing easily on the ground before using her left foot as a pivot to turn and slam her elbow into a Sound-nin's chest. As the man doubled over, Zane laced his fingers together before bringing both of his hands down on the man's neck, breaking it before he hit the ground.

"That's three for me." Zane said lightly with a grin, placing his hands on his hips. "How many do you got?"

"Five." Keij called back as he used a high-kick to send a Sound-nin flying out of the battle. Kaya flipped onto her hands and brought her legs down on a Suna-nin's head, pounding him to the ground.

"Four for me." Kaya pushed herself back onto her feet, smiling at Zane cheekily, "Looks like you're last." His face paled extremely, and she blinked; had she upset him? "What?"

"Kaya, behind-!"

Kaya blinked before being pushed forward by a strong, feminine hand and hearing a loud clash from behind. In shock, she looked over her shoulder, only for her eyes to widen.

Three Sound-nins fell to the ground, multiple cuts and tears along their flesh. A figure stood there plainly before looking over its shoulder at her. It was then that Kaya recognized her. "Meyu-chan...?"

The younger girl grinned, "Call me Yume. Okino Yume."

**//+//**

'_I can feel her..._'

'_**Aw, shut up and focus you worthless boy! Move!**_'

'_What is she doing back here?_'

A fist collided with his chin.

'_**STUPID! Look what you did! Now focus, bastard!**_'

'_Focus...Focus..._'

**//+//**

"What? Yume?" Kaya questioned, only for Yume to smile.

"Yeah. And Koji and Zai." She added, motioning over to the two boys who had just gotten done with four Sound-nins. Keij blinked before glancing at Kaya.

"What is this?"

"I'm not sure." Kaya replied, still looking at Yume. Yume's smile faltered before she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well, it's kind of complicated-"

"Yume, another division is in the village. Do you want to take action?" Koji interrupted quickly, the sun reflecting off of his metal head protector. Yume frowned before sighing and glancing at Team 23.

"I hope you three don't get in the way much." She said lowly before nodding to Koji and Zai, running off towards Konoha. Zane blinked blankly before scratching his head once the three had left.

"What the hell?" Kaya groaned, hitting her forehead before running after the three.

"Just follow them!" She called back to the two boys, who glanced at each other before loyally following.

**//+//**

Konoha looked like a war site. Perhaps because it was the beginning of one? But for whatever the reason, that synonym immediately came to her mind as she sped across tiled roofs, looking around.

The streets were littered with Suna-nin, Sound-nin, and Leaf-nin. The center of the village was also overrun with plant life, and it was a good distance from there that she finally stopped.

"What now?" Zai asked from behind her; the two had caught up to her momentarily. Yume sighed, rubbing her neck as she stared off towards the treetops of the woods, where she could barely make out a large demon that towered over everything. Zai followed her gaze before looking back at her.

"...What do you want us to do?" He asked quietly, and she tensed before rolling her shoulders, Koji remaining silent in the background.

"See if you can break your old records." Yume replied airily, looking back at them. "Twenty and twenty-two, right?" Zai's eyes widened as he glanced at Koji, whose lips thinned.

"Are you serious? You just want us to kill them?" He asked coolly, and she smiled.

"Killing an innocent one is minus five points." Zai stared for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head.

"You sure know how to make serious situations into games." Was all he said before disappearing with a step, Koji sighing before following suit. Yume exhaled before staring at the barrier that was in the center of the village; she could sense the immense chakra inside and calculated that it had to be the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama and Orochimaru are inside." She blinked before looking over her shoulder. Kaya stood a few feet behind her, arms crossed over her chest loosely. "Jounin are spread throughout the village and there are still a lot of villagers in the arena."

"Dead or alive?"

"Unconscious. Why do you care, though?" Kaya narrowed her eyes, "You're a Suna-nin; you're on _their_ side." Yume stared at her for a long moment before rubbing the back of her neck and looking away.

"...Do you always judge people by appearances?" Kaya blinked in surprise, unsure on what to say. Yume sighed, looking off towards the barrier that concealed Orochimaru and the Hokage, "That is what's wrong with society; people judge mainly on appearances, the most unimportant thing you could possible judge on."

Yume looked back to Kaya with a smile, "You would think someone older like you would understand." Paralyzed in shock, Kaya could only watch as Yume sprinted to the edge of the rooftop before disappearing over the edge.

**//+//**

"Twenty. Damn." Zai scowled as the Sound-nin fell to the ground, looking over his shoulder to see Koji finishing off his twenty-third victim. Once done, Koji looked over his shoulder at Zai.

"Twenty-four."

"_Cheater!_ I specifically counted twenty-three!" Zai growled, turning to point an accusing finger at Koji, who shrugged.

"I beat you either way." Zai's face flushed with fury.

"Tch..." Koji smirked before nudging his head towards the arena.

"Come on; the crowd is still in there." Zai exhaled before following after the retreating Koji, eyes half-lidded.

'_...Yume, why the hell are we here?_'

**//+//**

He pulled his arm back, breathing heavily. This was it; he was going to end this annoying person's life, with his talk about protecting his stupid comrades.

How idiotic.

_"How can you say that?! I've seen you with her! What do you call __**her**__, huh?!"_

He had never really answered that foolish question. After all, how could he when he didn't know the answer himself?

He moved his arm forward, hand clenched into a fist. It was over.

**//+//**

Yume watched silently as the barrier disappeared, five Sound-nin immediately jumping out while ANBU members moved to stop them. She watched as one Sound-nin produced a web from his hands, trapping two ANBU before escaping. Frowning, she tried to focus her chakra on the Hokage, but was puzzled when she couldn't sense his signal.

"He's dead." She looked over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow; will the intrusions never end?

"Oh? And you couldn't even stop the enemy from leaving?" The man's face didn't shift in emotion. She felt her brow furrow; this man looked somewhat familiar...

"...You're Okino's sister." She frowned before fully turning around.

"Who are you?" She questioned cautiously, and he smirked.

"A friend of Usaka."

"You're not welcome; leave me alone." She mumbled, turning to jump off of the roof. However, the man said something quite disturbing that made her stop.

"So I hear that Usaka's dying." Her stomach churned and something sharp lurched in her chest. For a moment she couldn't breathe, but then she shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah. So?" He frowned, pulling at his dark hair.

"Thought you might care a little bit more; he talked about you most of the time." The man added solemnly before sighing and looking off towards the roof where a small amount of Jounin was. "Guess I'd better go." And he leapt on to the next roof, leaving her to stand at the edge, eyes wide.

She felt as if she had been stricken across the face.

'_...He talked about me?_'

Suddenly, her knees buckled and she fell onto her rear end, still awe-stricken. She stared as a small circle formed in the center of the other roof, surrounding the body of the dead Third Hokage. She stared for another moment before her head snapped back, sensing something. Without hesitation, she quickly got up and sprinted towards the woods.

She didn't know how she was able to move this quickly; the pull of this person must have added to her speed. Either way, she was in the woods in no time, hastily looking around. Finally, she looked up, only to gasp.

'**Mr. Sandman!**"

**//+//**

Koji and Zai immediately stopped, Zai even accidentally dropping an unconscious man back to the floor as his ears prickled. Koji carefully set a woman back down in the arena before looking over at Zai.

"...What was that?" Zai shook his head, bewildered.

"I have no idea...Just a sudden burst of chakra, I guess." Koji's lips thinned before he looked down into the arena. Three Leaf Jounins were facing off a Suna-nin and a cloaked man. Zai followed his gaze before frowning. "Baki was in on this?"

"Appears so; quick, let's go." Koji added when he felt a lazy eye on him. Zai nodded and the two hurried out of the arena and into the streets. Glancing at each other, they suddenly tensed; they recognized this chakra.

"Yume!" Zai exclaimed, moving to run in the direction that he was sensing her from. However, Koji grabbed a hold of his shoulder firmly, shaking his head. Zai blinked before slowly relaxing and looking the other way. "...What now?" Koji's reply was stopped when a shuriken was thrown at him. With quick reflexes, he tilted his head to the side, the shuriken passing by harmlessly.

"Hn. Not bad." Koji and Zai looked to the left, where the older Keij stood cockily against a building wall, twirling another shuriken around his finger. "You actually moved out of the way."

"What's your problem?! We just helped you out, _teme_!" Zai scowled, eyes narrowed. Keij merely shrugged before pushing away from the wall, the shuriken stopping in his hand.

"That was questionable; you _are_ Suna-nin, after all." Koji exhaled quickly in an irritated manner.

"How predictable." He murmured before slipping a hand into the sleeve of his jacket, pulling it back out with five kunai knives. "Leaf-nins are so judgmental." Keij didn't seem to be affected.

"It's called society."

"You little-" Zai started, taking a step forward, only to pause when a flash of black appeared before them. Koji relaxed slightly as he recognized the hair, and Zai took a step back while Keij stared forward, slightly surprised to see Kaya standing in front of him, arms outstretched. His expression changed shortly after, however, and he frowned.

"Move." Kaya narrowed her eyes and held her ground.

"Make me." He rolled his eyes.

"Tch..." However, he put the shuriken back into his leg pouch, "You let people get to you."

"And you don't let **anyone** get to you." Kaya shot back, causing Koji and Zai to glance at each other with raised eyebrows; this was unexpected.

"Lovers' quarrels aren't our thing, so later." Zai said, giving Keij a smug look when he was glared at. Koji sighed before running down the street, Zai following close behind.

"Must you always have the last word?"

"You know me all too well."

**//+//**

His head fell to the side as a fist collided with it, the force sending him spiraling backwards toward the ground. He stared up at the sky in awe, not minding as his body fell through the air.

He had missed.

He collided with the ground, the breath knocked out of him for a moment. His head lolled to the side, where he could see that annoying blonde laying a few feet away.

'_Why...Is he this strong?!_' He felt his anger grew and his narrowed his eyes.

"...My existence will never be extinguished..." He said lowly, his voice growing stronger, "It won't be extinguished!! There is **no way** that I would let it disappear!" He yelled, only for his eyes to widen as the blonde lifted his face up and began to push himself towards the other. Gaara felt himself begin to panic.

"Do...Don't come any closer!!" He yelled frantically, only to stop as Naruto finally looked at him, tears threatening to run down his face.

"The pain of being alone...Is not an easy one to bear." He choked out, "Your feelings...Why is it that I can understand your pain?"

Gaara's eyes widened to their fullest extent, and his lips parted in astonishment.

"But...I already have many people who are important to me now..." Naruto continued, regaining his composure, "I won't let you hurt those people important to me."

He felt a certain sting in his chest.

_"Mr. Sandman?"_

"We make a good team."

"Gaara!"

Naruto's eyes suddenly narrowed, "Even if you try to kill them...I will stop you..."

He didn't understand. "...Why? Why do you go so far for other people's sake?" Naruto didn't answer right away. When he did, however, it had sounded so sincere.

"They saved me from the hell of being alone...They acknowledged my existence...That's why they're all important to me..."

Gaara stared. '_Acknowledged...His existence?_'

_"Those who always stay beside you. If you make them important to you, they will always watch over you with love."_

His eyes softened. "Love..."

'_...That's why he's so strong..._'

"But, you have important people too..." He blinked and Naruto continued, determined to make him see, "That girl...She acknowledges you. Temari...Kankuro..." However, before he could go on, his face fell to the ground again, just as Uchiha appeared.

"That's enough, Naruto..." He said lowly, kneeling down beside his comrade as Gaara watched, "Sakura is fine now. This guy is most likely out of chakra. The sand holding Sakura has completely collapsed." Naruto turned his face to give a tired smile.

"...I see..."

"...Mr. Sandman?" Gaara blinked; no. She couldn't be here; she had just left a couple hours ago. "Look what you did to yourself." Awe-stricken, he moved his head towards the sky, only to see Yume hovering over him, a small smile etched onto her lips.

"...Yume..." She smiled again, about to say something, only for two figures to suddenly appear before both of them, kneeling. Gaara looked over to see Temari and Kankuro, and he inwardly sighed.

'_Uzumaki Naruto..._'

"That's enough...It's over." Kankuro looked over his shoulder with a wince.

'_It's the first time I've seen Gaara so beat up..._'

"Alright." He said, warily watching as Yume stepped back. Carefully, he pulled one of Gaara's arms over his shoulders, but just as they were about to make a run for it, Gaara stopped them.

"...Your ribbon..." He murmured, and Yume blinked before smiling, waving it off.

"You can give it back to me later, okay?" He stared at her, his eyes half-lidded, before Kankuro finally took off, Temari following behind. Yume watched the three leave, hands behind her back, before glancing over at Sasuke and Naruto.

"...You must be good friends." She said lightly, just as Naruto closed his eyes, a smile gracing his face. Sasuke stared at her for a moment before replying.

"...You're with that guy?" He questioned, hand lingering over his kunai pouch. Yume blinked before giving a light giggle and looking off towards the direction where "that guy" had gone.

"Yeah. I'm with him."

**//+//**

'_Someday...Even I will..._'

His eyes closed for a moment as he felt the air rushing by him. When he reopened them, they were distant and somewhat sad. "Temari...Kankuro...**I'm sorry.**"

Temari and Kankuro looked at each other in surprise and confusion before Kankuro stumbled out, "It's...It's alright."

'_...I'm sorry to you, also...Yume..._'


	26. Waiting

Samuru frowned at the digital sphere before sighing and waving his hand, the sphere disappearing with a flicker. He looked to his desk, where a framed photograph stood. Grunting, he took it into his hands and gazed at it.

A man in his early twenties was grinning as a hand was placed firmly atop a younger boy's head, whose cheeks were tinted pink as a light scowl was spread on his face.

Samuru closed his eyes before leaning back in his chair, carelessly setting the picture back down onto the desk surface.

His plan could now begin.

**//+//**

She didn't go to the funeral procession. It wasn't her business.

Also, she doubted that she was even allowed to be in Konoha right now.

So she sat on a tree branch, just outside the boundaries of the village, twirling a glass vial around her fingers. She watched the clear liquid slosh around with idle eyes, her shoulders in a relaxed state.

She wasn't sure where her teammates were. For the past two days, she had stayed in the secluded forest, unsure on what to do next. She had no idea about the status of Konoha and Suna's relations, and she didn't want to risk going into either of the villages. It was all so complicated.

"...Yume-chan?" She tensed before looking down, only to sigh and look away. Below, Kaya averted her eyes to the ground, her hands clasped together at her waist. "I...I want to apologize about earlier. When I-"

Kaya was cut off suddenly when a wire plate jumped at her, slapping itself over her mouth. Panicking, she tried to rip the metal off, her screams muffled. Her eyes widened when Yume jumped down from the tree, advancing towards her. "Shut up." Kaya blinked and flinched when Yume grabbed her right wrist. Puzzled, the older looked over at her, watching as the purple-haired girl ripped the bandages off the hand.

The metal plate finally fell from Kaya's mouth, strapping itself back to Yume's upper thigh. Kaya hissed as the burn mark was exposed to the air, and made a forceful move to pull her hand away. Yume kept her grip, however, and glared at the burn mark before comparing it to her own.

On her hand, was a skull and cross bone. On Kaya's hand, however, was a dove.

"...What?" Kaya asked in a daze, realizing the burn mark on Yume's hand. Yume frowned before letting go of the other's hand, stepping back.

"...I think I understand, now." She said to herself, brow furrowed before glancing up at Kaya, "Have you seen Koji or Zai anywhere?" Kaya blinked before shaking her head.

"N-no. But, wouldn't they be at Sunagakure? All the Suna-nin retreated there." Yume contemplated this before shrugging it off, wrapping the loose bandages back around her left hand.

"I see. Well, have a nice life."

And with that, Okino Yume disappeared from Konohagakure, and from Murabashi Kaya's life.

**//+//**

Usaka swallowed before rolling his shoulders, eyes glued to the double doors. Intricate designs were carved into the marble, and he decided to follow them as he awaited his name to be called. His palms were sweaty with anticipation, and he almost jumped when he finally heard his name.

"...Get in here, Usaka-san."

Usaka sighed before pushing the doors open and calmly walking inside, staring at Samuru as he sat behind the oak desk. Face cool, he walked before the desk before falling onto his knees and bending forward, his forehead almost touching the tiles. "Forgive me, **Boss-sama**."

Samuru blinked before leaning forward on the desk, eyeing Usaka curiously, "Where did you hear that name?"

"Did you think that I wouldn't find out eventually, if you began to call yourself that?" Usaka questioned back, his head still lowered in false respect. Samuru's eyes narrowed before he sat back in his chair, chin resting atop folded hands.

"...Well," He said after a moment, seemingly ignoring the whole commentary, "How is the cursed seal treating you?" Usaka felt his chest freeze.

"Fine, sir." Samuru stared at him for a wavering moment before sighing, pulling a large stack of papers from a hidden drawer onto the desk. Usaka briefly looked up when he heard the stack slap the surface of the desk, and swallowed.

It was his contract.

"Now, what to do about the scum of the Okino family?" Samuru pondered out loud as he flipped through the papers, mildly noticing Usaka's eyes flash. "Hm, ah, here it is." Usaka stood up quickly, looking down at the contract while Samuru smirked, reading the statement aloud, "_Direct disobedience results in instant death, unless another option is presented that is favorable to both parties._"

Usaka's stomach dropped. '_D-Death...?_' Samuru's smirk widened.

"Well, it seems that you won't have to worry about little Yume-chan anymore."

**//+//**

Zai stared at the house solemnly, eyes distant and aloof. Not sure on what to do, he and Koji had run to Sunagakure, arriving just a few hours ago. So far, nothing drastic had happened; it was like they had never existed in the first place.

Through the window of the house, Zai watched as a couple in their late thirties played with a toddler, who had bright blue hair. Zai continued to watch as the couple handed a stuffed bear to the toddler, who grabbed at it with greedy little hands.

Zai's heart felt as if it were going to burst.

Lowering his eyes, the older boy walked away towards the one place he knew Koji would be in this village.

**//+//**

Koji's hands were in the pockets of his jacket as he stared at the grave, remaining quiet. The grave looked so plain and dull compared to the rest of the cemetery, which was decorated by family and friends with floral arrangements and such. This grave was just a gray color, with sand at its base.

He didn't bother to look at the grave next to this one, which was adorned with red roses. The plain one was the one that he wanted to see.

'_...You made her die._' He stared at the grave, his head protector at his neck. '_She worried about you until her death._' Sighing, he looked away from the plain grave and knelt in front of the one that was highly decorated. Quietly, he moved the roses that had been knocked over by wind into place, and he smoothed sand off of the engraved words.

_**Loving mother and wife.**_

He stared at the words, particularly the word 'wife'. After a long moment, he heard footsteps. Closing his eyes, he stood up and brushed the sand off of himself.

"They decorated it. Looks nice." Zai mumbled, his eyes downcast. Koji stiffened before nodding. There was a long silence before Zai looked up, eyes in pain. "They...They had another kid."

Koji glanced at him. "..." Zai swallowed, trying to remain calm.

"They...Look happy." He forced out with a sad smile, and Koji continued to stare. The silence was deafening. Finally, Koji closed his eyes and put a hand on Zai's shoulder before walking out of the cemetery.

"Yume's back."

**//+//**

She sat on a chair made of wires, elbows resting on a table made of the same metal. The underground haven was crumbling away; slowly but surely, it was beginning to collapse.

A vial of water lay on the table, and she stared at it, biting her lip.

'_I have a skull and cross bone...She has a dove._

Her hand found the coolness of the glass vial inviting.

'_This is a cure, right?_'

The cork was easy to pull off.

'_So, would I have a dove and would she have the skull and cross bone if I drank this?_'

Yume swallowed, looking at the open vial with a furrowed brow. How could this make her feel? It was all so complicated. Much too complicated for her. She inhaled; she had nothing to lose, right?

She drained the vial in one swing.

**//+//**

"...Death isn't the only option." Samuru blinked at Usaka, who had regained his composure. Usaka tapped the contract with a low smirk. "It says so right there." Samuru frowned before shrugging, leaning back in his chair.

"Fine. What do you propose?" Usaka paused before stiffening; he hadn't planned on getting this far. "You've already given me your body; what else could you possibly offer to help me forget about her?" Samuru questioned slyly, placing his chin in his hand as he looked up at Usaka, awaiting a clever response. Usaka swallowed as he racked his brain, trying to think.

Minutes of silence passed by before he smirked, raising his head, "Murabashi Kaya." He watched as Samuru's smirk faded, replaced by a thoughtful stare.

"...So. You've been tampering with the library as well?" Samuru asked lowly, exhaling. Usaka didn't respond, and watched as Samuru tapped his fingers on the desk surface. "I had planned on Yume herself retrieving Murabashi for me, but since this has happened..." Usaka took this pause as an opportunity to kneel once again, but this time with his head raised.

"I would be honored in personally assisting in her capture...**Boss-sama**." Samuru stared at the kneeling form before smirking and waving a hand, the pile of papers bursting into flames.

"It'll be nice doing business with you, Usaka-san."

**//+//**

He laid on a hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling in deep thought.

'_Uzumaki Naruto...Love..._'

He turned onto his side, and blinked when he felt something brush against his arm. He looked down at himself, and his eyes softened at the silk red ribbon that had brushed against his skin. He touched it with his fingers fleetingly before bringing them away; his chest seemed to plunge in a warm sensation whenever he touched the fabric. After a moment, when his chest returned to its normal, cool state, he touched the fabric again.

He secretly liked this new warmth.

**//+//**

Her face peeked out from her arms, her knees up to her chin as she distantly stared at the small pond of water. She didn't know why her chest felt empty; it was like a part of her had disappeared.

"You're always by water when you run off." Kaya didn't bother to look up, and Keij frowned slightly at her back. She buried her face further into the depths of her arms, eyes closed.

"Go away." She mumbled, and he blinked in surprise. She was never this hostile. Hesitating, he stepped beside her before sitting down, glancing over at her. He continued to stare at her until she finally moved.

He blinked when she moved towards him, arms falling to wrap themselves around her knees. "...You're not acting yourself today." She suddenly winced, pulling her right hand towards her chest. His brow furrowed in concern as he grabbed her wrist gently, unwrapping the bandages.

A moment later, the bandages fell to the ground, and both of them stared at her hand in awe.

Her burn mark had disappeared.

**//+//**

Zai and Koji looked up and down the deserted streets of Sunagakure before they stared at the lone boulder that was off to the side of the road. Zai frowned before pushing the boulder over with a grunt, revealing a long, diagonal tunnel. Koji stared down into the darkness for a moment before nodding.

"She's in there." Koji stated before carefully walking down the tunnel, Zai following, not bothering to close the entrance behind him. The tunnel was short, and the two reached the entrance area soon enough. There were four holes in the earthen walls, two with colorful sheets over them to act as a door. Koji and Zai glanced at each other before they split up. Koji entered the north hole, and Zai entered the west, which had a violet sheet covering it.

"Yume?" Zai pulled the sheet back, only to see two empty futons. He squinted into the dim lighting, and could just make out a handmade bookcase in the back of the room. Curious, he stepped into the room to examine the leather-bound books. Eyebrows raised, he took a book out from the poorly organized shelf and glanced at the title.

_Human Psychology_ stared back at him. He blinked before setting the book down at glancing at the rest of the titles. _Heart Over Mind_, _Heart: Functions and Theories_, _Social Disorders_, _Physical Therapy_, _Insomnia_...

The titles all sounded so technical and over his head.

"Zai!" Zai dropped the copy of _Love's Mental Issues_ in surprise before rushing out of the room and into the north one, only to come up short. Koji was kneeling on the floor, brow furrowed and jaw set as he checked the pulse of an unconscious Yume. Zai's eyes widened.

"What happened?" He looked at the ground and cringed at the pools of what seemed to be saliva and other body fluids. Koji scowled before lifting Yume's body into his arms.

"I want you to take a sample of the fluid. I'm taking her to a hospital." Koji stated quickly before jogging out of the underground haven, Yume's head lolling off to the side. Zai swallowed as he watched Koji disappear up the diagonal tunnel before squatting down next to the fluid. He tilted his head to the side, however, when he noticed something shining in the clear liquid.

It was a piece of metal shaped like a spider.

"Hm?" Using two kunai, he picked up the piece of metal, only to jump when it started to move rapidly. Looking around the room, he snatched a glass vial off of the table and dropped the metal inside, stick the handle of a kunai to serve as a cork. Bringing the vial up to eye level, he examined the strange piece of metal as it threw itself against the glass, trying to break out.

"Is this..."

**//+//**

Taji stepped to the side, allowing another man to pass by him in the narrow underground hallway. His grip on his clipboard tightened subconsciously as he walked down the hallway, stopping at a metal door. Quietly, he slid the door open, only to step back in surprise.

"Usaka-san?"

Usaka didn't look up from his work; he silently placed a small pile of folded clothes into a box, turning back to the bed, where a few scarce personal items were placed. Taji blinked; he hadn't expected anyone else to be in Yume's room. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Usaka replied coolly, placing a framed photograph into the box as well as a beaten up book. Taji lowered his eyes.

"...Did you give her the cure?" He asked timidly, only for Usaka to push past him with the box under his arm, head low. Taji stumbled against the metal door, and watched as Usaka's back slowly disappeared out of sight. After a moment he sighed and stepped into Yume's room, looking around silently.

The futon had been stripped of its sheets already, and the shelves were bare. He looked over at the holographic window, and an orange red sun stared at him. Taji's eyes softened as he turned back to the door, sliding it shut as he exited the room.

'_It's like she never existed..._'

**//+//**

Koji sat in the chair awkwardly, avoiding eye contact from the many people that stared at him. The waiting room of the Sunagakure hospital was somewhat crowded; many of the people there were family or friends of the injured Suna-nin that returned from the failed mission at Konohagakure. Others were just related to other sick patients, whose causes of injury were unknown.

Koji's fingers reached for the head protector at his neck, but he resisted and kept his hands on his knees, gluing his eyes to them. He had been like this for the past twenty minutes since Yume was whisked off; the nurse had told him that she would be sent to an ER, but he doubted it. There were too many victims of war to focus on just one girl.

"Koji!" He looked up, relieved to see Zai jogging into the hospital, two glass vials in hand.

"What did you find?" Koji asked as he stood up, feeling more relaxed at the eyes that stared at him. Zai came to a stop before holding out two vials; one contained the clear liquid that Yume had vomited and the other...

Koji's eyes widened, "Is that...?" Zai grinned and nodded, handing the vial to an awe-stricken Koji.

"She must've taken that cure. It _worked_!" Zai exclaimed happily, and Koji stared at him, eyes still wide.

Three years. It has been three years since Koji had seen Zai so ecstatic. Slowly, a smile crawled onto his face; happiness can be contagious, he supposed.

**//+//**

Gaara glanced at the doctor, who swallowed nervously.

"Y-You're free to go, Gaara-sama." The doctor said, stammering a bit in fear. Gaara stared at him before inclining his head and exiting the room. His injuries had finally been completely healed after two days of the whole Konohagakure incident, and he was ready to leave this place. It reeked of sickly bodies. Quietly, he walked into the waiting room, and frowned when the room suddenly went silent. Inwardly sighing, he made his way across the room, eyes sweeping over the villagers.

He stopped his movements when his eyes locked onto a pair of bright blue. The boy stared back at him in surprise, as well as the other boy that was seated next to him. Gaara blinked before facing the two completely, glad when the room went back to its normal volume.

"...Koji and Zai, correct?" He asked lowly, and the two nodded, Koji going so far as to give a half-smile. Zai, however, averted his eyes. Gaara ignored this and swept his eyes across the room again before looking at Koji, "...Where's-"

"Emergency room, probably." Koji replied before Gaara could finish, cautiously looking over at Zai, who rubbed the back of his neck. Gaara blinked at the new information; Yume had seemed fine when he had last seen her. A moment of silence passed by before he closed his eyes and occupied the seat next to Koji, who looked faintly surprised. There was an awkward silence as Zai leaned forward in his seat to stare openly at Gaara, also surprised. Gaara kept his eyes closed, but was very aware of Zai's eyes on him. It was becoming agitating, but he remained silent. Zai, however, did not.

"Are you here to see her or something?" He questioned innocently enough. Koji's lips thinned, however; he'd be damned if he would let Zai start something in a _hospital_. Gaara finally opened his eyes and looked over at Zai, eyes blank.

"I was asked to return something to her." He replied bluntly before looking forward again, only to inwardly frown as a sickly infant began to cry. '_This hospital should be rebuilt; it's obviously not large enough for the entire village._'

"What?" Zai questioned after a moment, letting the information sink in. Koji glanced over at Gaara, scanning him for a moment, before he spotted it. Tied to Gaara's white sash, was the silk red ribbon.

'_Well...Maybe Yume did have a few feelings before taking the cure._' Koji thought, remaining silent as Gaara locked eyes with him. After a second, Koji smiled lightly. "I see."

Zai scowled, "_What?_" He didn't get it. Gaara, however, just gave a brief nod before sitting back in his chair and closing his eyes. It was going to be a long wait.

**//+//**

Usaka nudged the dry wood with his toe as the fire slowly died out, burnt cardboard and fabric in the midst of the flames. Gray smoke filtered out into the air, and he stared at it dismally.

He had burned anything that would remind him of Yume; surely, she would fade from his memory? It would take time, but she would disappear. Inhaling, he ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the back as he bit his lower lip. She was free now; at least _one_ good thing had come of this new contract. Her tattoo will disappear, but he knew nothing about her condition.

'_Why did she have to break the vial?_' Usaka questioned in his mind, tugging at his hair again. '_We worked so hard...To make up for what we've done..._' He exhaled before letting his arms fall to his sides. Silently, he turned his back away from the burnt remains of his memories and walked in the opposite direction. '_What I've done...I guess it can't be forgiven._'

**//+//**

Temari hummed as the opened the door of the entrance of the hospital, cradling a bouquet of yellow roses in her other arm. She had probably overdone it by sending for the flowers from Konohagakure, after they had just attacked it and all. But, along with this bouquet, she had asked for a large floral arrangement of white cherry blossoms to be delivered to the grave site of Hokage Sarutobi, hoping that the village would accept her offer. Thankfully, they did, and she could picture the floral arrangement sitting by the gravestone elegantly.

She sighed to herself; she was starting to get caught up in the political turmoil that the past events had caused. Of course, she felt obliged to; she was the eldest heir of the former Kazekage, and she was sure that the Council was already debating on a new one. She could only assume that she would be chosen, and to get involved with politics now would be a wise choice. Pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind, she entered the hospital and past the receptionist's desk, straight into the waiting room.

She almost dropped the bouquet at the sight.

"Gaara?"

Gaara looked over at her from his seat beside Koji, and blinked. He stared at her for a moment before his eyes dropped to the bouquet of roses. He raised a nonexistent eyebrow, but said nothing about them. "What are you doing here?" He questioned instead, and Temari blinked; she had been eyeing Koji and Zai suspiciously before Gaara's question.

"Well, I _was_ going to leave these at your nightstand," Temari motioned to the flowers, "But since you're healed, I guess you should come home; the Council is getting restless." Gaara's brow furrowed before he closed his eyes and stood up from the chair.

"Are they never restless?" He muttered under his breath before turning his back to Koji and Zai, who continued to stare. Finally, Koji cleared his throat, looking at the roses.

"I wasn't aware that Sunagakure grew roses, Temari-chan." He said lightly, and Temari flushed before scowling.

"It's none of your concern." She fired back, but stopped when Gaara shot her a look. Bewildered, she closed her mouth. Koji smirked slightly before looking over at Gaara sincerely.

"I can give it to her, if you like." He offered, and Zai stared at him with a raised eyebrow, left in the dark along with Temari. Gaara contemplated this for a short while before walking towards the exit of the hospital.

"There's no need." He replied before exiting the waiting room, Temari following behind. However, once Gaara had exited the waiting room completely, she paused and looked over her shoulder. The two boys stared at her, and she sighed before walking over to Koji and handing him the flowers.

"I don't have any use for them now." She mumbled before completely exiting the building, leaving both Koji and Zai momentarily stunned. Zai blinked in recovery before looking at the yellow roses.

"...Does Yume like yellow?" He wondered out loud, and Koji shrugged.

"Who knows?"


	27. Forward

The waiting room was almost empty at around midnight. However, two people still remained, one fast asleep while the other tried to stay awake. The nurse behind the desk stared at the two for a long moment before sighing.

"If you're so intent on staying the night, there's an empty room down the hall that you could use." She suggested, only to blink when she received no reply.

Looking closer, her face softened to find that the other boy had finally fallen asleep, his brown locks falling over his eyes. Smiling, the older woman pulled a blanket out of the hidden drawer underneath the desk and walked over to the two, carefully spreading the soft material over both of them evenly. Stifling a yawn, the woman pulled out a ring of keys and made her way to the exit, turning off the lights and leaving the hospital for the other night-shift.

A moment passed after the woman had left the two alone. It was silent, until a muffled laugh was heard. Pulling the blanket off, Zai grinned at Koji, who pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"You actually kept a straight face; impressive." Koji commented smoothly, and Zai laughed again before the two stood up and stretched.

"Yeah, yeah. Now, how're we supposed to find Yume's room?" He questioned in a quieter tone at Koji's look; there were still people on duty, after all. Koji nudged his head towards the desk.

"Check-in should be over there. Her name and room number should be registered." He instructed, and Zai nodded before walking over to the desk and carefully rummaging through the papers. After a few minutes of silent rummaging, Koji glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, "Find it?"

"Well..." Zai's voice trailed off as he stepped from behind the desk, showing off a ring of multiple keys. Koji stared at them in awe; there was at least a hundred. "Can't we just find her chakra signals?" Zai asked, also opposing the idea of checking every single key. Koji sighed.

"I already tried; all of her chakra must have been drained." He explained, and Zai groaned before twirling the ring of keys around his finger.

"Then the long way it is."

**//+//**

The room was dark, but the curtains that shielded the windows had been pulled back, so moonlight illuminated some of the room lightly. He stared into the room and just made out the hospital bed, and the figure laying on it. Silently, he slid the window open and slipped into the room.

'_They should lock the windows._' He thought as he closed it behind him, the cool breeze being closed off. He glanced over at the bed to find that she was unconscious and that a machine was resting by the bedside, it emitting a slow beep. He stepped up to the side of the bed, and gazed down at her.

He noticed that her normal attire was replaced by a white smock and that a machine wire was underneath her smock and taped to her chest; the machine must be registering her heart beat.

'_...What happened? Was she attacked?_' He wondered idly as he touched the white sash that was across his chest. Carefully, he untied the silk ribbon from it in one swift motion, letting it dangle in his hand. He looked at the nightstand by the bed, and moved to set the ribbon there. He paused, however, and looked at her again.

Exhaling, he carefully took her right wrist and tied the ribbon loosely around it.

Satisfied, he turned to leave, only to halt his movements once again. He had seen her hand twitch. Blinking, he glanced at her again, but she didn't move. Shrugging it off, he moved towards the window and slid it open, creeping back out into the night, not forgetting to close it behind him. Silent, he moved down the streets of Sunagakure, eyes closed.

'_I gave the ribbon back; now I can focus on other things._' He nodded to himself, agreeing with his thoughts. However, on the way home, he found that he still couldn't focus on anything without her finding her way into his mind.

'_Stupid girl._'

**//+//**

"Ugh..."

She held her head, it aching beyond belief. "Where...Am I?" She questioned slowly as she looked around; all she saw was white. Frowning, she pushed herself to her feet, only then realizing that she had been sitting on something grassy. Looking down, she found that she was barefoot, and that green grass and white flowers tickled her ankles. She also found that she was dressed in a white, linen dress. She touched the light fabric before scowling; she hated dresses.

"Sorry you don't like the dress; I have no fashion sense." She blinked before looking up, only to take a cautious step back. A young man, maybe in his early twenties, was standing before her, hazel eyes bright and a mask shielding his lower face. He took a step towards her, and she pushed her palms out.

"_Sen nankan!_" A moment passed, and the man smirked behind his mask as she pulled her hands toward her, staring at them in fear. Throwing a glare at him, she growled, "What the hell's going on?"

"You share a temper, you two." The man said thoughtfully, causing her to narrow her eyes.

"What're you talking about?" The man blinked before waving it off with a chuckle.

"That's beside the point. Anyway, I'm here to help." He said, sitting down on the grass. After a moment of her staring at him ridiculously, he sighed and patted the grass in front of him, "Sit; we're going to be here a while." She was hesitant, but she finally sighed and sat down in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So, explain what's going on here." She said forcefully, and he chuckled again.

"Well, this is what we call a 'meditation area', a place in your mind that your mind rests. You follow?" He inquired, and she paused before speaking up.

"I'm unconscious right now?"

"Yeah, right after you swallowed the cure." She blinked before giving a yelp, slamming her hands in the grass in excitement.

"It worked?! I'm cured?!" She asked with a smile, leaning towards the man, who leaned back warily.

"Yes, yes, but-" He was cut off by a light laugh as she leaned back, clasping her hands together.

"Finally. Okay, you can get me out of here now." She said happily, only for him to groan.

"Let me finish!" She blinked as he exhaled, putting a hand to his forehead. Shaking his head, he looked at her again before going on, "Remember, all of your emotions were locked inside your body by the device Samuru used, Shibireru." She nodded. "Now that your emotions are released, when you wake up, there's a high possibility of your heart not being able to take all of the rushed emotions at once, and it could explode."

She felt her stomach plummet. "...Explode?" He nodded.

"That's why you're here; you're going to learn how to express the emotions that were locked away in here, that way when you wake up, your body will already be used to them." The man explained, and she blinked before looking down at her hands. She was silent for a long moment before peeking up at him.

"So, what do I get to call you, sensei?" His hazel eyes sparkled before he laughed.

"The name's Kisho, kid. Kisho."

**//+//**

Koji stifled a yawn as Zai sleepily unlocked Room 87. He peeked inside, eyes half-lidded from sleep, only to see an older man laying in a hospital bed, staring back.

"...Nurse?" The man questioned, and Zai shook his head to wake up.

"You should be resting; the doctor will see you in the morning." He mumbled, getting used to the saying after the eighty-seventh time, before closing the door with a yawn. "Koji, let's just go back to the waiting room; I'm tired." He said, rubbing at his eyes. Koji yawned as well before nodding.

"They'll have to let us see her eventually..." He said, his voice getting swallowed by another yawn. Zai agreed before looking out a nearby window and sighing; it was already dawn.

"Come on, we better put the keys back." Zai added, walking the opposite way down the hall, Koji following.

They would try again tonight.

**//+//**

Temari poured three cups of tea carefully and placed them on a tray before entering the living room of the house. She paused at a window to look up at the sky, where the morning sun shone. She smiled before walking on, setting a cup on the small table that was placed before a couch; Kankuro always managed to collapse on the couch in the morning on the way to the kitchen. Humming, she traveled up the stairs, shouldered the door to her room open, and set her own cup of tea down on her nightstand; she liked to relax before training. Now, she inhaled before walking down the hall, stopping at a door.

She knocked, "Gaara?" She waited for a reply, but none came. Sighing, she opened the door and stepped inside, only to jump in surprise, almost spilling his cup of tea.

Gaara was sitting on the windowsill, his back to her. Sighing, Temari smiled before setting the tea down on his nightstand, "So, how's Yume?" She noticed that he tensed, and she regretted bringing up the name. However, his response wasn't what she expected.

"...She's still unconscious." Temari blinked before grabbing the cup of tea and walking over to Gaara, who looked over his shoulder curiously. Smiling, she handed the cup to him.

"Don't worry; I'm sure everything will work out." Gaara stared at her for a long moment before turning and accepting the cup of tea into his own hands.

"...Thanks." He mumbled, looking away. Temari smiled softly before walking out of the room, looking over her shoulder before she closed the door behind her. Gaara looked into the tea, and stared at his reflection. After a long moment, he sipped at it, the warmth flowing down into his throat and into his stomach.

Almost like the warm sensation from before.

**//+//**

Samuru frowned, his chin placed in his hand as he stared at Taji.

"Where _are_ Koji and Zai, Taji-kun?" He questioned with narrowed eyes, and Taji swallowed, wringing his hands.

"...T-They're in Sunagakure, Samuru-sama." Samuru's frown deepened as he sat back in his chair.

"Well, that's a direct violation of their contract." He said thoughtfully, but Taji stepped forward.

"Samuru-sama, wait!" Samuru paused and glanced at Taji, whose hands were shaking, "I'll retrieve them; they've only been in there for a day or so." Samuru stared at the older teen idly before waving his hand with a sigh.

"Go. And if they don't come back willingly, use force."

**//+//**

"I'm sorry, but I'm only allowing family to see her right now."

"We're practically her family." The doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry; it's our policy." Koji sighed before turning to look at Zai, who sat up in his seat hopefully. At the shake of Koji's head, however, he slumped back into the seat and stared at his feet dismally. The doctor frowned uncomfortably before placing a hand on Koji's shoulder. "Don't worry; she's fine." He assured, but Koji shrugged the hand off and walked over to Zai.

"There's nothing we can do." Koji said lowly, and Zai frowned before sighing ad scratching the back of his head.

"...So, now what?" Koji glanced over at the clock that hung high in a corner; it was already three in the afternoon.

"Let's get something to eat...You haven't eaten since last night." Koji added quietly, walking to the exit. Zai's stomach grumbled loudly, and he scowled before following Koji out into Sunagakure.

"Do we even have money?" Zai asked as the two set their path down the road. Koji patted his kunai pouch, which jingled. Zai stared at him before smirking. "You thief."

"He didn't notice, so there's nothing to worry about." Koji replied coolly, glancing to the side of the street, where a Korean barbecue was open. He nudged his head towards the restaurant, and Zai glanced at it before nodding; they entered the restaurant in silent agreement. Inside, it was mostly empty. The two glanced at each other before sliding into a seat, seeing no sign that told them to wait.

"How much do you have?" Zai questioned as he skimmed the menu; it seemed a little too costly for a Korean barbecue. Koji gave a shrug.

"Enough." He replied, and Zai raised an eyebrow before shrugging it off. He was about to make another comment, only to pause and look to the left.

"You have anything here that won't make us broke?" He asked an older guy, whom he assumed was a waiter. The young man had a tan cloak covering his body, and his face was concealed by shadows. Tilting his head to the side at his strange attire, Zai raised an eyebrow. Koji glanced at the silent man as well, his hands on the edge of the table. "Hello?" Zai scowled when the man remained silent.

"...Taji-san." Koji said lowly, staring at the man. Zai blinked in surprise before looking over to see the cloak being pulled away from his face, revealing a very timid-looking Taji.

"Taji-san? What're you doing here?" Zai asked with narrowed eyes, but before he got an answer, Koji had grabbed the edge of the table and easily flipped it over so that it collided with a startled Taji. "...The hell?!" Zai yelped as Koji grabbed his collar, rushing out of the restaurant, the owner bursting out of the kitchen just in time to yell out profanities.

"Move!" Koji ordered, pushing Zai forward as he sprinted down the street. Fumbling, Zai caught himself and ran after his friend, scowling.

"What was that for?! It was just Taji!" Koji frowned as he looked over his shoulder, scanning the area behind him and Zai before his eyes widened. Zai blinked and was about to ask another question, only to feel a hand press his head down, causing him to stumble to the ground, Koji going down with him. In shock, he stared above him just in time to see a large shuriken pass over both of their heads.

"That's exactly why we have to run." Koji finally replied quickly before hurriedly standing up, hoisting Zai up by his elbow. "We're not even supposed to be in Sunagakure, remember?" He said hastily and Zai blinked in realization.

"Koji-kun, Zai-kun, please." Zai and Koji swiftly turned around to see a worried Taji standing in the middle of the street, the large shuriken flying back to him as he caught it in his right hand. "Please, just come back quietly." Taji pleaded, but Zai frowned.

"Why? The cursed seal will go into effect any minute; we'll be dead in days." He replied solemnly, and Taji shook his head.

"No! I talked to Samuru-sama; he said you can come back! **Please.**" Taji repeated, and Zai looked over at Koji, whose brow was furrowed.

"...Why would you talk to Samuru for us?" Koji asked slowly, "What's in it for you?" Taji swallowed and put a hand to his chest.

"When...When Yume-chan was released...Usaka-san burned all of her stuff." He said quietly, and Zai's eyebrows arched. "It's...It's like she never existed in our lives, back there..." He looked up and smiled sadly, "But, if you two came back, we wouldn't have to forget. Whenever I see you two, I think of Yume, too."

Koji stared at the older teen, "...And if we don't want to go back?" Taji's smile faded and he sighed.

"Then I'll have to use force." Taji replied lowly, but this caused Zai to chuckle, much to Taji's dismay. "What's so funny?" Zai snorted again before smirking over at the older teen.

"Come on, Taji-san; you know you can't defeat both me _and_ Koji." He sneered, but to his surprise, Taji straightened up and gave a half-smile. However, he didn't say anything; instead, he turned on his heel and sprinted down the street the way that he had came. Confused, Zai and Koji glanced at each other. "What the hell?" Zai scratched the back of his head, while Koji frowned, trying to pull up a map of Sunagakure from memory. A few moments went by before his mind clicked and his head snapped up.

"He's heading for the hospital."

"...Yume!"

**//+//**

She screamed and covered her ears, shuddering. He stared at her before nodding his head in satisfaction, snapping his fingers; the genjutsu was released, and she fell to her knees, gasping for air. Once she caught her breath, she sent him a glare.

"What as that for?" She growled, and he smirked behind the mask.

"Well, you seemed to pass the Fear stage. On to the next one." He said cheerfully enough and waited for Yume to sit back on the grass, a hand still to her chest. After a moment, she looked up at him warily.

"And what would this next stage be?" She questioned distastefully, which caused him to chuckle.

"You'll see." And with that, he closed his eyes and forced another genjutsu on her.

**//+//**

Gaara looked through the unlocked window again, the sun just beginning to set behind him. He looked at the nightstand to see that the bouquet of yellow roses had been placed in a vase. Closing his eyes, he turned to leave, but paused. Frowning, he looked into the room again before sliding the window open and slipping inside.

Just as his foot touched the ground, the door to the room burst open.

"Stop him!"

For a second, Gaara just stared at the young man, who was covered in a tan cloak. The man looked frightened as Gaara's eyes moved slowly to see the kunai in his hand. Gaara then glanced at the hospital bed, where she was still unconscious before looking back at the man, who had taken a step forward.

Gaara's brow furrowed as he slipped fully into the room, the gourd on his back evident to the man, who swallowed nervously. With speed that almost matched his own, Gaara stiffened as the man appeared at her bedside, holding the kunai much too close to her neck.

"O-One more step and I'll slit her throat!" He stammered out; he sounded not much older than Gaara. However, Gaara's eyes narrowed and flashed. The cork of his gourd flew out and sand rushed at the man, who, caught off guard, managed a yelp before the sand caught him in a tight cocoon.

"Gaara-san!" Gaara glanced at the door, not surprised to see Koji and Zai in the doorway, with a few doctors and nurses behind them.

"...Who is this?" Gaara asked, glancing back at the cloaked man, who struggled to breathe. "An enemy of Yume?"

"Gaara, let us deal with him." Zai said, stepping into the room as he rubbed his palms together. "It's personal." Gaara stared at Zai for a long moment before moving his hand, causing the cocoon to float over to the blue-eyed boy. Suddenly, the sand dropped to the ground, releasing the man who fell to the ground. Before he could move, Zai slammed his foot down on the young man's back.

"You're dead, Taji." He growled, and the man, Taji, whimpered underneath the weight of his foot.

"P-Please! It was the only way to persuade you!" Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow, but turned his back on the events to examine the still unconscious Yume. Koji moved into the room as well, allowing the doctors and nurses to rush in towards their patient.

"Please, Koji-kun, you understand! The cursed seal will go into effect if you don't come!" Taji whispered heatedly as Koji walked over to his fallen form. Koji stared at Taji before looking over at the hospital bed.

"Gaara-sama, please step away from the bed."

"Shut up and do your job." Koji's face softened as he watched Gaara stand at Yume's bedside, looking over the frightened doctor as he checked to see if she had been harmed. After a moment, Koji cast Zai a sideways look.

"We'll go back." He said, and Zai's eyes widened.

"W-What?" Koji gave him a reassuring smile, a rare feat.

"Don't worry." Zai stared back for a long moment before looking over at the bed. The doctor had stepped back after announcing that she was unharmed, and Gaara had nodded before looking at her again, his hands at his sides. Zai felt his chest ache, but he sighed and nodded, looking over at Koji.

"...Okay." Koji smiled again before giving Taji a cool look.

"Get up and leave; we'll depart in an hour." Taji nodded hurriedly, and Zai reluctantly moved his foot off of his back. In a second, Taji disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sighing, Koji turned towards the bed as the medical-nin left, leaving the three boys alone with the unconscious girl.

"...Hey, you." Koji was slightly surprised when Zai began to speak, but glanced at him. Zai looked over at Gaara, who raised his head to meet his eyes.

"What?" Gaara look unfazed and Zai held his head up high before placing his hands on his hips.

"You better watch over her. Got it?" Koji's eyes widened. Gaara blinked at Zai's demand before closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.

"...Got it." Zai paused before nodding, satisfied.

"Good. C'mon, let's go." And Zai left the room quickly, leaving Koji in awe. After a moment, he sighed and stepped up to her bedside, opposite of Gaara. Koji stared at her face for a moment before leaning forward to move a few strands of hair away. Gaara watched him silently.

"We'll be back. I have a plan for Zai and me, so wake up soon." Koji said lowly, "When we come back, I expect you to learn new jutsus." He glanced up at Gaara and gave him a half-smile. "Ask Gaara-san to teach you some; I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Gaara frowned before looking away, only to glance back when Koji sighed and left the room, giving the two of them one last glance before closing the door behind him.

Koji sighed again as he walked into the waiting room, only to stop when he saw Zai standing with his forehead against the wall, his eyes blank. After a moment, Koji tilted his head to the side.

"...You didn't even say goodbye. That's unlike you." Zai frowned before pushing away from the wall.

"...Friends don't say goodbye." He mumbled before pushing through the exit, Koji following after a moment.

**//+//**

Usaka sighed in relief; he was finally out of Samuru's line of vision. With that damned digital sphere of his, the man could see his subordinates' whereabouts at all times. Thankfully, Usaka was now in shrouded in darkness, so nothing could be exposed.

"Thanks, Kiyoshi." Kiyoshi remained silent, and since Usaka was unable to see him, he shrugged before smiling.

'_She had the cure._' He had known ever since she had flashed the vial to him a couple days ago, but refused to believe it at first. After all, what if it had been another genjutsu? He just didn't think his heart could take it. But when her chakra signal disappeared yesterday, his hopes were brought up; she wasn't dead, he knew that from Taji. And if she **was** unconscious, the cure would have been the only thing to cause her chakra from clogging and killing her.

So, he came to the logical conclusion that she **did** have the cure, and that she **did** drink it, and that so far, it **is** working.

"Quick, Okino-san; the darkness will start to play back your thoughts if you don't hurry." Kiyoshi warned lowly, and Usaka grunted in response. Being in this darkness was the only way that Usaka was able to think about Yume, for Kiyoshi's darkness was the only place that Samuru's sphere couldn't reach. If he had thought about her anywhere else, the sphere would have been able to comprehend his facial expressions and feed them back to Samuru, who would have Usaka's contract rewritten with dire consequences.

"Okino-san."

Usaka inhaled before nodding, "I'm ready." From now on, all thoughts of Yume will have to leave his mind. For his sake and hers. So, with a solemn facial expression, he allowed Kiyoshi to disperse of the dark dome, exposing both of them to the artificial light of the underground headquarters.

It was time to move forward.


	28. Time's Lesson

"Is she awake yet?"

"No...Poor girl, it's been a month, too."

The doctor sighed and rubbed his forehead, "I just don't understand; she wasn't injured, as far as we know. What **happened**?" The nurse was silent, and instead of answering skimmed through the check-in sheet. After a moment, she frowned.

"Strange...Gaara-sama hasn't visited her today." The doctor eyed her with a raised eyebrow.

"Gaara-sama visits her? I wasn't aware of that."

"Yes, every day. Well, except today..." The nurse added with a frown. The doctor blinked before snapping his fingers.

"Ah, I know why. Didn't he leave for Konoha last night, along with Temari and Kankuro? He must still be traveling." The nurse's jaw dropped.

"But, we just surrendered-"

"The Council just declared an alliance with Konoha; after all, this is not the time to be fighting, correct?" He smiled brightly, and the nurse sighed before setting the clipboard back down on the desk.

"You're right..."

"But, still, it is strange that Gaara-sama would be visiting this girl...He's not trying to kill her, is he?" The doctor questioned with a furrowed brow, and the nurse scowled at him.

"Give Gaara-sama some credit; maybe she's a friend." She added cheerfully before walking out from behind the desk, eyes sweeping over the waiting room; it was empty, which was a surprise, even in the early morning. She had gotten used to it though; those two boys hadn't come back to visit her for a month, already.

"A friend? To Gaara?" The doctor laughed, which caused the nurse to frown deeply; the man had no idea what he was talking about. He hadn't seen Gaara when she did; he didn't know how Gaara would sit quietly in a chair at Yume's bedside, never saying a word.

She could only hope that she had the strength to keep herself from slapping this man; after all, he was the one taking care of Yume, and not her.

"I have to check on a patient; have a nice day." The nurse grumbled, smoothing out her skirts before walking down the hall, the doctor staring after her with raised eyebrows.

**//+//**

Yume coughed, and few splatters of blood tainted the green grass. Kisho watched, uninterested.

"Are you going to ask any more questions?" He inquired, as if challenging her to reply. She growled and looked up from the grass, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth.

"Tell me; how are you connected to Murabashi?" His eyes narrowed and he swiftly slammed his palm into her chin, causing her to fly backwards, landing on the grass roughly. Hissing, she sat up on her elbows, a little dazed by the fall. He glared down at her, however, and cracked his knuckles. She held his glare, until finally, he grinned underneath the mask and gave her the thumbs-up.

"Okay, Anger and Pain stage complete!" She continued to growl.

"Those emotions weren't locked away, _baka_." Kisho blinked before laughing.

"But I had some fun, so it worked out!" Yume sighed before sitting up and crossing her legs. There was a moment of silence before she peeked up at him.

"...But...How are you connected to Kaya?" He stared at her before sighing loudly and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Eh, let's just say I'm her guardian. Now, onto the next stage..."

"So how are we connected?" Yume pressed forward, and Kisho shifted his feet, genuinely uncomfortable.

"You know, if I knew you were going to ask all these questions, I wouldn't have come." He mumbled under his breath. But, he shook his head anyway, "It's not important for you to know now; ever since you took the cure, your connection to her has disappeared. So, no more questions." Yume made to protest, but stopped. Instead, she bit her lip; she guessed that she would never know why Murabashi was thrown into her life.

"So...What's the next stage?" She finally asked, and Kisho smiled in relief.

"We're almost done; you'll like this stage." He added, and she blinked before shrugging. She doubted that she would, though.

**//+//**

"...Koji."

"Hm?"

"...I want to go home."

"...I know."

"...When can we go back?"

"Don't worry; just do as I say and we'll be fine."

"...Okay."

**//+//**

Samuru glanced at the digital sphere, which showed a sterile white room. Inside, were two figures. They were loosely chained to the wall, and one's head was against his chest while the other was calmly sitting against the wall, eyes at his knees. Samuru frowned before dismissing the sphere and going back to the photograph before him.

The plan had started.

**//+//**

"Yume-chan?"

The nurse sighed as she walked into the room, balancing a tray in her hands. Sadly, she gazed over the unconscious girl. Her hair had grown past her shoulders, and her complexion was much too pale. The nurse frowned unhappily, and set the tray on the nightstand, gently sprucing the yellow roses up.

They were beginning to wither, after three months of being placed there. The nurse touched a frail petal, and her eyes softened in pity. '_Gaara-sama hasn't visited her yet...And neither did the two boys..._'

She closed her eyes and placed her chin in her hand. '_How can you stay asleep for so long?_'

**//+//**

"Why'd you stop it?!"

Kisho blinked, taken aback. "The stage is over." Yume scowled before putting her head in her hands, exhaling.

"...I felt happy..." She mumbled, and Kisho frowned.

"Sorry, kid; but this is training." Yume let her hands fall back down to her side and nodded, eyes off to the side. Kisho waited for a moment before crossing his arms over his chest. "You've been unconscious for three months, already. You only have about two more stages to go." He added when she looked at him in shock.

"Three _months_?" She questioned in disbelief, and he nodded solemnly. For a second, she just stared. Finally, she opened her mouth, "Where are Koji and Zai?" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I can't-"

"_Please._" Kisho was once again caught off guard by the sincerity in Yume's voice, and after recovering he sighed.

"...They're with Samuru. But..." He paused, unsure on whether or not to continue. But, looking at her face, he was reminded of someone else and forced himself to go on, "They're in the white room, undergoing experiments."

She didn't say anything at first. Instead, she crouched down onto the ground, balancing on her heels as she intertwined her hands above her head. Her breathing was quick, and Kisho's eyebrows arched before placing a palm to his forehead.

'_Damn, I knew I should've waited until after the next stage..._'

"Get me out of here." Kisho looked over at her to see that she was staring at the grass, hands still over her head, as if shielding herself. "Wake me up."

"No. You only have one more to pass, now." She snapped her head up at him before standing up, hands balled into fists.

"Then teach me! I'm wasting time here!" Kisho's lips twitched before he nodded and motioned to the grass.

"Sit; this is going to be difficult."

**//+//**

Koji coughed, lifting his face from the tiled floors in doing so. More blood splattered onto the white, and his head fell back down, his eye sight dimming. Slim tubes were connected to his back, reaching under the skin and brushing against muscles. As he coughed, he felt the tubes press down, and he felt as if a blade was ripping away at his back. His eyes gradually rolled to the back of his head, and he passed out from the pain.

A few yards away, Zai lay on an examining table, a thick tube protruding from his abdomen.

He tried to focus on the ceiling, and not the pain in his gut. However, whenever he breathed he found that the tube wouldn't move with his body, and it caused a nauseating pain throughout his torso. The straps of tough leather that held him down cut into his skin, and he felt the strong urge to let out a blood curling scream. However, last time he had said anything, the tube had, as if by magic, pressed further into his organs.

So instead, he resorted to screaming in his mind.

**//+//**

He stared out at the horizon, where the sun was halfway over the line. Kankuro was behind him, but he didn't look back.

"I don't want to say this..." Kankuro started, being careful with his words, "But I don't think she's going to wake up any time soon, Gaara."

Gaara remained silent, and only moved to cross his arms over his chest. Kankuro shifted his feet as he placed a hand on his hip, "It's been almost three months. Sunagakure and Konohagakure have already become allies, Uchiha left to join Orochimaru, and you...You've changed, too." He paused to see his effect; Gaara didn't move. "I don't know her that much, but...Don't you think all of these changes are gonna be hard for her?"

He still made no move to speak. Kankuro rubbed the back of his neck with an unsure frown, "What I'm trying to say is...Maybe, you know, you should hand her over to her friends. We're all gonna be real busy, as Suna's shinobi and all..." Gaara's lips thinned for a moment, and Kankuro tilted his head when he received no immediate answer. After a few minutes, however, a response was given.

"Go home, Kankuro." Taken aback, Kankuro's eyebrows arched. He seemed to fumble out incoherent words, but finally, he ceased and sighed. With a nod, he turned his back and walked away from the dry plains, leaving Gaara to stare at the sinking sun alone.

He uncrossed his arms, letting them hang at his sides as he tilted his head to the side, blankly staring at the sun. It was an orange red, the color spilling onto the skies above him and making the clouds look like a pastel pink. '_Turn her over..._'

He would be busy, if he wanted to accomplish his new goal.

'_I wouldn't ever be __**too**__ busy..._'

And what would he do, if she **did** ever wake up? Find those two boys and just hand her back like an item?

'_Her fighting skills are unmatched...She __**would**__ be useful to me later on._'

What if she didn't want to stay in Sunagakure? He hadn't really thought of that.

'_It __**is**__ her hometown. I could persuade her, in some way._'

What if she wanted to find her friends? Hadn't they gone back to their "Boss"?

'_Hn. He doesn't sound too difficult to take out..._'

His mind was now clear. Closing his eyes, he nodded to himself, sure of his decision. Now, all she had to do was wake up.

**//+//**

A Storm shinobi swallowed before kicking the door open, surging into the room along with five other of his companions. They all looked around, confused by the sudden whiteness of the room.

"Geez, pretty nice for an underground thing." One commented, and the others murmured their agreement. The nervous one was the only one who hadn't responded. Confused, his comrades looked at him.

"You okay?" A cocky one asked, and the nervous one just stared, wide-eyed, at the ground. Blinking, the other five followed his gaze, only for them to gasp.

Two boys were lying on the ground, surrounded by tubes and blood.

"K...Kage-sama!!"

"_Kage-sama!_"

"They're dead?!"

"_**KAGE-SAMA!!!**_"

The nervous one collapsed onto the ground, trembling as the others deserted him. This was his first time on a mission, and this was what he got?

"G...Guh..." The nervous one yelped and held his arms in front of his face, only to slowly pull them away after a moment. His eyes widened when he saw the brown-haired boy twitch, the tubes from his back slowly pushing out. The nervous one quickly looked to the other boy, who had blue hair, and noticed that he was slowly rising and falling from breathing.

"Y-You're alive?" He didn't expect an answer, but the words just fumbled out of his mouth. The brown-haired one desperately tried to lift his head off of the ground, but only managed to lift it up for a second before falling back down, his chin crashing against the tile. The nervous one stood up, his legs still shaking. Then, mustering all his strength, he walked over to the two of them, focusing all of his chakra into his hands.

"I'm a medical-nin from the Storm village; I'm certified to heal you-"

"...Shut the hell up...And...**Help us**." The blue one interjected weakly before coughing, and the nervous medical-nin swallowed before nodding, raising his hands above the blue-haired boy's abdomen.

"Don't worry; everything will be okay." Although the older man sounded very unsure of himself, a small, reassuring smile from the heavily injured boy allowed him to relax.

And he could swear that everything **would** be okay.

**//+//**

"How's your heartbeat now?"

Yume placed a hand over her heart, brow furrowed in concentration. After a moment, she looked at Kisho curiously. "Normal. Why? Kisho hummed, apparently amused.

"Hm. And you were thinking of Zai, like I told you to?"

"Yeah, so?" She replied, and he just nodded, eyes closed.

"Your heartbeat is normal and relaxed when you're around Zai; this is a type of love." He paused and opened one eye to see that she was following before continuing. "There are three types of loves; love for a friend, love for family, and love for, well..." He smirked underneath his mask. "You can figure that one out on your own."

Yume blinked before shrugging, "So, what you're saying is that I **do** love Zai...But as a friend?" Kisho nodded.

"Pretty much. Now, think of Usaka." She closed her eyes somewhat reluctantly and pictured the man in her mind, placing a hand over her heart. "What do you feel?" He inquired, and after a second, she opened her eyes.

"My heart beats a little slower."

"Love for a family member; your heart beats slower because you're so used to this person. Simple, really." He added, and she frowned slightly. "Now that you're done, I can..."

She blocked his words out. Her mind was consumed by this new feeling; love, right? It felt nice; it made her chest feel light, and her stomach warm. She pondered for a moment before smiling and closing her eyes, picturing a redhead in her mind.

After a moment, however, she opened her eyes with a frown.

She wasn't used to **that** feeling. Her chest didn't feel light; it felt somewhat strained. Her stomach was still warm, but she could feel it lurch around uncomfortably. But, after a few seconds, she smiled again; she was beginning to like this feeling as much as the others.

"...And then you can wake up. You got that?"

She blinked, but before she could open her mouth, he was upon her, grabbing the front of her fabric easily and lifting her above the grass.

"...Hey!"

Kisho's hazel eyes sparkled in amusement before he used his free hand to lower his mask to his neck, revealing a handsome mouth. "Goodbye, Okino Yume."

Yume blinked before she looked up, watching as a dark hole seemed to open up in the white. She started to panic, but slowly relaxed when she felt herself being lifted towards the hole. She glanced back at Kisho, who was standing on the earthen platform with a grin.

Suddenly, she felt her eyelids droop, and with a small yawn, her eyes closed into a deep sleep.

**//+//**

He felt his eyes flutter open, and he was staring at a moving sky. Confused, Koji tried to sit up, but found a gentle hand pushing him back down.

"Rest; your wounds were really deep." Blinking, Koji looked to see a blonde-haired girl with warm, brown eyes smiling down at him.

"...Who are you? And where am I?" She smiled before patting what they were sitting on; it was then that Koji realized that his hands were running through large feathers.

"I'm Mika, personal assistant of the Kage of the Hidden Storm Village. And you're on Tori, right now." She added cheerfully, and Koji blinked.

"...Tori..."

"I'm a bird, darling." Caught off guard, Koji jumped slightly at the realization that he was laying on a giant, white dove. And that this dove was talking.

"Oh...I see." Koji replied lowly before sitting up, despite Mika's protests. Looking around, he sighed in relief when he saw Zai lying down on the downy feathers, still unconscious.

"You guys were really beaten up; did Boss experiment on you?" Mika questioned quietly, folding her hands on her lap. Koji glanced at her, and suddenly wanted to pull his head protector back over his eyes. However, he resisted and tilted his head.

"Boss?"

"Well, Samuru. I guess that's what you called him?"

"...Called?"

Mika frowned. "Don't you know what's been going on?" Koji shook his head, and she sighed, touching her forehead. "Well, I'll put it in a nutshell; Murabashi Kaya and her friends defeated Samuru, after learning that he was only using Kaya-chan to lure a Kisho person here. However, five of her friends didn't return with her." She paused to look at him, "This all happened three days ago."

'_Murabashi...Hm..._'

"Were we knocked out the entire time?" Koji asked, slightly surprised. Mika nodded solemnly.

"Yes. We're going to be reaching Sunagakure any minute now; we assumed it was your hometown because of your head protector." She added at his bemused look.

"Oh..._Arigato_." She smiled and waved it off.

"Don't worry about it; oh, Sunagakure's coming up now. Tori, lower us down a bit!"

Tori the bird chirped happily, "Yes, Mika-sama!"

Koji gripped onto the feathers tightly as the bird suddenly sky-dived; once he was on the ground again, he would make sure to appreciate it much more.

**//+//**

He stepped into the waiting room of the hospital; it seemed like he had just been there the day before. He glanced towards the check-in desk, only to find that it had been deserted. It didn't seem to matter to him, however, for he walked down the hallway and stopped at the familiar door. Quietly, he opened the door and stepped inside the room.

Chaos seemed to smack him in the face.

"**Hold her down!**"

"Quick, insert the needle!"

"I-I can't! I might hit a nerve!"

"_Quick!_ I can't hold her down much longer!"

Gaara stared in disbelief as a group of medical-nin surrounded her bed, her body shaking uncontrollably as a nurse attempted to strap an oxygen mask over her mouth.

"Gaara-sama?! You can't be in here right now!" A familiar nurse suddenly appeared in front of him, motioning towards the door. "Please, just wait-"

However, Gaara pushed past her and into the cluster of medical-nin, staring at Yume's twitching body steadily. "What's happening?" He questioned lowly, and the nurse clenched her jaw.

"We don't know; Gaara-sama, please, let us do our jobs-"

However, she was ignored once again as he leaned towards the shaking body. He stared for a moment before placing his hands on her shoulders, carefully pressing her down to the hospital bed while the medical-nin surrounding him watched in awe.

After a second, she finally stopped shaking, but his hands remained firmly on her shoulders.

"Her heart rate's back to normal...!" The main doctor exclaimed in disbelief, checking the machine closely. The other medical-nin sighed in relief before turning to each other in congratulations, as if it was them that had soothed the patient, and not Gaara.

Slowly, the medical-nin poured out of the room after a painkiller was injected into her arm, Gaara finally stepping back. However, the room was still not completely empty; Gaara and the nurse had stayed behind.

"...Gaara-sama..." The nurse started, but he closed his eyes, which made her stop. There was a long silence before he opened his eyes again and glanced at her.

"...You will receive extra pay when the bill is paid." The nurse blinked in disbelief, and started to sputter out something, but he just shook his head. Startled, she could only bow continuously in thanks before exiting the room, still in shock.

Sabaku no Gaara had just offered her more pay for no apparent reason, after all.

Once he heard the door close, Gaara glanced at her figure. The oxygen mask had never made it to her face, but she was still breathing on her own. He noticed, with a slight frown, that the red ribbon had come undone and was now laying in the sheets of the bed, somewhat forgotten in the chaos. He paused before walking up to her bedside, reaching down. Silently, he grabbed the ribbon and lowered himself down to once again tie it around her wrist.

Red violet eyes fluttered open.

"...Mr. Sandman?"


	29. Beginnings

He stared at her, eyes widened in surprise.

From the window, a couple rays of orange sunlight soaked the room, and seemed to bathe her in glorious color. She blinked slowly, eyes still a little distant, before a smile spread onto her lips. His face, unknowingly, was only a couple inches away from hers, and his hand was still over her wrist.

"...Yume?"

"So I've been told." Yume replied lightly, and Gaara felt himself relax; she was still the same girl he knew. He watched as she sat up, not thinking to move out of the way. Now, their faces almost touched. He could feel her breath on him; it reminded him of a warm breeze, much like the one outside right at this very moment. She stared at him, and wondered if he was going to move away. When he didn't, she looked down.

She scooted a little way backwards on the hospital bed, so there was at least a foot in distance between their faces.

Just realizing the previous closeness, Gaara straightened himself up, his hand leaving her wrist, and his face now completely away from hers.

"What happened?" Gaara inquired, crossing his arms over his chest. Yume looked up at him with a familiar smirk.

"I just took a nap." He blinked before shaking his head and turning away. The window was cracked open, allowing a comfortable breeze into the room. However, he frowned slightly before walking over to the glass and sealing it shut.

"No locks...There should be locks." He said under his breath, and she tilted her head, analyzing him. He tapped the window with his knuckles and listened to the sound before sighing and turning away, facing her again. "Not even strong enough to withstand a kunai...The glass needs to be replaced..."

She laughed, "Sounds like you have a lot of ideas." She teased, and he glanced at her before uncrossing his arms.

"...I-"

"Gaara-sama? Visiting hours are-" The door opened, but the nurse stopped in mid sentence as her eyes caught Yume's. The nurse gaped as Yume smiled and waved.

"Hi."

"_D-Doctor!_"

**//+//**

"She's awake?!"

"Don't move; you might bleed to death." Koji advised calmly from his spot beside Zai, who frowned and looked down at his bandaged stomach. Koji had heard the good news from a happy nurse, and had decided to share it with Zai. However, he should have expected the enthusiasm of his teammate. "But yes, she is. She's getting a physical right now."

"...Did she wake up alone?" Zai asked quietly, and Koji hesitated before replying, unsure on how he would take the information.

"Gaara-san stayed with her. He's in the waiting room as we speak."

Zai's eyes narrowed before he stared up at the ceiling. He could feel his stomach churn uncomfortably at the news, but something in his chest pushed the feeling down. After a minute, he sighed, and his eyes almost closed.

"Good."

Koji's face softened as he nodded. After a moment, he sat down in the chair next to the bed, wincing slightly as he sat; his torso was still wrapped in bandages and in recovery. Zai's eyes trailed over to him, a little surprised. "Aren't you going to wait for Yume?"

"She's gone three months without us...She can wait until you get out of bed." He replied, a magazine somehow appearing in his hands. Zai stared as Koji hid his face behind the magazine, engrossed in the article. A minute passed, and Zai grinned before looking back at the ceiling.

'_Thanks._'

**//+//**

Gaara sat in the waiting room, arms crossed over his chest and eyes closed. He tried to block out the noise as a toddler and his mother walked into the waiting room, the mother going to check-out. However, the noise was too loud.

He opened an eye, and watched idly as a clumsy toddler wobbled around the room. Gaara unnaturally tensed when the toddler reached the door exit, and suddenly a flow of sand erupted from the gourd that he had placed in the chair next to him. The sand carefully lifted the toddler up by the waist, who laughed, carefree.

"My baby!" The mother exclaimed, rushing over to the child as the sand plopped it down in a chair. Sighing in relief, the woman scooped her child up before looking over at Gaara. For a second, he could see the fear in her eyes, but was slightly surprised when it disappeared and was replaced by gratitude.

"Thank you so much, Gaara-sama."

He was still in shock after the woman and toddler had left, watching as the toddler squirmed around in his mother's arm to wave childishly back at him.

'_...How did that happen?_'

"Gaara-sama? You can see her, now."

He was led to a different room from before, and as the nurse with yellow hair opened the door for him, he was surprised to find that Yume was standing.

She was frowning as she balanced herself with one hand on the examining table and the other in the air, as if she were walking on a tight-rope. Gaara's surprise wore off, however, when she stumbled forward. He wanted to move, but a nest of wires sprung out to catch her before he could even react. It was then that Yume noticed him, laying down on the springy wires and looking at him from an upside-down view.

"What're you doing, Mr. Sandman?" She inquired as she sat up, the wires protectively lifting her up to her feet. Gaara watched as she attempted to walk again.

"You're going to have to train even harder...You've lost all of your leg muscle." He avoided her question, but she smirked at him.

"Does that mean you were looking at my legs?" He decided that it would be wise not to answer. Instead, he turned towards the door.

"I have places to go; I'll be back in a week." He said lowly, and she tilted her head at him before managing to take a few steps. She wobbled, and she stopped at the end of the bed, keeping a steady hand on the edge.

"Why are you telling me that?" Gaara glanced at her over his shoulder before shaking his head and opening the door, exiting the room. When the door shut behind him, Yume continued to stare at it. Long minutes passed before she sighed, her hands forming determined fists. Inhaling, she practiced her walking again, not getting frustrated when she fell into a rebounding nest of wires.

**//+//**

A day passed, and Zai was out of bed.

"Yume?"

"Koji, Zai?"

The door to her room opened, and her face seemed to glow as the two walked in. Laughing, she wobbled over to them, her legs still very weak. Exhausted from the short distance, she collapsed into Zai, who caught her carefully with a grin.

"Steady now!" Yume laughed and then threw herself at Koji, who was caught off guard.

"...Hey." Koji greeted lamely, helping her to stand straight again once she was done with the embrace.

"What happened to you two?" Yume inquired with an arched brow as she examined the two boys' severely bandaged bodies as they glanced at each other. Sighing, Koji led her back to the bed, where she sat on the edge with a furrowed brow.

"It's a long story..."

And both of the boys explained everything, while a shocked Yume listened to them quietly.

**//+//**

His preparations for his campaign were underway as he sat alone in the Council Room, calmly looking around. He would have to work hard; he knew this. But, as Kankuro entered the room and asked Gaara if he could speak to him outside, the redhead wondered if other people knew how hard he planned on working.

A long half-hour passed as Gaara spoke to Kankuro, explaining his ambition. The cliff that they stood on was the same one that he had stood on when he had made the decision only a couple days ago. He wondered if it was just a coincidence, but only for a fleeting moment.

He had been done talking for about five minutes now, and a comfortable silence settled in. However, after another minute, Kankuro stepped forward again.

"What about Yume, now that she's awake and all...? You decide on anything, Gaara?"

Gaara felt a hint of a smile spread onto his face. "I have. So don't worry about it." Kankuro looked a little taken aback, but he relaxed after a moment and nodded.

"Okay."

**//+//**

The week had passed, and she was proud to say that she was already able to walk and do a light jog without assistance. The medic-nin were surprised at her quick recovery, but gave all the credit to her hard work and continuous practice. According to the head doctor, she would be able to train in another two weeks or so.

The boys, however, were another story.

Koji's back muscles had been seriously injured from his experiment at Samuru's headquarters, as well as his spine and skin. He would be undergoing another surgery and wasn't expected out of the hospital for another month or two. Zai's stomach tissues had also been severely damaged, as well as some of his small intestines. His surgery would be quicker, however, and he was expected out of the hospital in another three weeks.

Yume was standing in her room, pulling her shirt back over her head. She had officially been released from the hospital; all she had to do was check in once a week for the medic-nins to see her progress. So now, she was replacing her smock with her old clothes, which proved to be much too small for her.

The black, sleeveless shirt was now barely touching her navel and her navy blue shorts just reached her mid-thighs. Frowning, she twisted around in the fabric; it was all too tight.

"Yume, you decent?"

"Yeah, yeah." She called out, strapping the metal plate to her mid-thigh as usual. She heard the door open and close, and looked over her shoulder to see Zai leaning against it. "Aren't you supposed to be in surgery with Koji?" Yume questioned curiously as she sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her sandals out from underneath it. Zai smirked.

"His surgery got bumped up, so mine's been set back to tomorrow." He replied, and she nodded while slipping one sandal on, her head bent. She didn't notice as Zai slunk over to her, blue hair covering a majority of his eyes.

Yume looked up to say something, only to blink; Zai had lowered himself so that his face was inches away from hers. "...What're you doing?"

"Yume, do you love me?" His breath played across her face, but she didn't seem to notice. Red violet bore into bright blue, and she bit her lip.

"...Yeah, but-"

She didn't get to finish. Zai swept down, placed a hand on her cheek, and pressed his lips against hers. Yume's eyes widened, and she quickly put her hands on his shoulders and made to push him away.

Neither of them heard the door open.

"...Ah."

Just as she was about to push Zai away, she froze. Her eyes darted towards the door, and she could only see the back of Gaara's head as he exited the room, closing the door behind him.

A moment passed while Zai's other hand touched her neck, finally pulling away, but only so he could rest his forehead against hers. Yume just sat there, staring into space from the shock.

"I think I love you." She heard Zai whisper that statement, and her mind clicked. Quickly, she pushed him away and stood, hurriedly slipping the other sandal on. "Yume?"

"I don't love you like that, Zai." Yume said quietly as she dashed for the door, her legs still a little weak. Zai tensed as she passed him, but he could only watch as she left the room in a hurry, her hand to her mouth the entire time.

**//+//**

He sat on top of a random rooftop, staring down at the ground.

The image kept replaying in his mind; that boy pressing his lips against hers, her face turned away from him...

Gaara wasn't sure why, but he felt his chest ache. Sadly, he pressed a hand to it and winced.

Suddenly, his head perked up. Curious, he looked down at the streets on Sunagakure, where some moonlight served as a guide to random walkers. He was lightly surprised to see a figure jogging through the streets before stopping, looking around, and jogging towards the outskirts that over looked the village.

He recognized the figure and the direction it was going in. He was reluctant to follow at first, but small, light memories seemed to grace his mind at the moment. After a moment of reminiscence, he sighed and followed after the figure, a little unsure about himself again.

**//+//**

Yume finally stopped running, and collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily. Somehow, she was pulled to a cliff that overlooked most of the village, and she had the most perfect view of the full moon tonight.

None of the scenery seemed to matter, though.

Her hand was to her mouth, touching her lips carefully. She could still feel Zai kissing her, and she felt her chest heave. That kiss hadn't felt like tiny butterflies were floating in her stomach, nor were fireworks exploding in her eyes, like fairytales had told her.

Instead, she had felt awkward and numb; two feelings she thought she wouldn't have to associate herself with after her awakening. She tried to compose herself by covering her face with her hands and inhaling deeply.

The emptiness wouldn't go away, though, no matter how hard she tried.

"...Why are you acting like this?" Yume lowered her hands and looked to her side, only to see Gaara staring off at the moon. "Aren't you happy?" She looked away before sighing and crawling over to the edge of the cliff. Once nearby, she sat down and let her legs dangle from the edge as she stared down, slowly relaxing.

"...I thought since I was cured, I would feel something." She replied quietly. He blinked before exhaling and sitting beside her, letting his legs dangle over the edge as well. "But...I guess I'm not really cured completely, you know. I was supposed to be happy, right? But I felt numb instead."

Gaara didn't understand what she meant by "cured", but he didn't ask about it. He was more focused on what she was "feeling" right now. However, she didn't say anything afterwards. So, the two basked in the moonlight, sharing each other's company and silence for long minutes. Finally, as he felt himself relax after realizing what she meant by her words, he spoke.

"...We're a team, right?"

Yume looked at him. She was surprised by his cool, calm tone. But, she smiled. "Yeah."

"Teams stay together, do you agree?" She nodded, and he looked at her, catching her eye. "Stay by me, then."

Yume stared at him. Gaara stared back until he finally began to elaborate, "I'm going to become the Kazekage...I'm going to rise up to power and protect Sunagakure. But...I've realized that I can't do it alone. So, stay by me. Help me help our village." He stopped, only to see her reaction. After a moment, though, he began to speak again, only for Yume to do the unthinkable.

Lightly, she placed her hand over his on the cool, clay ground and smiled.

"Did you really think that you had to ask, Mr. Sandman?"

**//+//**

A week passed, and Zai stared up at the ceiling.

Surgery had just gotten done, but he would be in recovery for another week. That wasn't why he felt this way, though.

"...You don't love me like I love you...Do you?" He asked lowly, and Yume, from her spot at the door, sighed.

"No...I don't." She replied honestly, and Zai sighed loudly before shifting in his hospital bed.

"I knew it, too, you know. I just kept thinking 'maybe she'll fall for me, maybe she'll fall for me'...Never happened, though."

Yume didn't know what to say. Zai just closed his eyes, though, and smiled.

"Don't worry about it, though. I got to tell you, so...I'm good." He turned his head to the side to grin up at her. "So, smile for me. Okay?"

And she did.

**//+//**

"...So, I'm dead, huh?"

Kisho grinned from behind the mask, and leaned forward to poke Akion in the forehead. "Yeah, but hey, not so bad, right?" He teased, nudging his head towards the young woman in the distance, who was picking the white flowers delicately. Akion flushed before shrugging, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, yeah...But...Where's Okino?" He inquired, and Kisho blinked before leaning back on his heels, hazel eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Oh, he's just visiting...In a sense."

**//+//**

After a couple of weeks, the two boys were completely released from the hospital's care and had met their teammate at the inn she had been staying in. After conversing and planning, the two boys decided to move into Koji's old house, which had been abandoned. It was very beaten up, but with some elbow grease they would be able to make it livable, with her help of course. So, she was surprised to find herself in this haven, which was crumbling away, when she was on her way back from the old house.

Yume traced a finger along the wire table, making a line through a thin layer of dirt from the ceiling. Smiling, she turned away from the table and crossed the kitchen, entering the adjoining room by moving a violet piece of fabric out of the way. She stared at her old room, her eyes sweeping over it, before they landed on the handmade bookcase.

Her hands trailed over the book covers, and she contemplated for a moment before grabbing one and tucking it underneath her arm. She exited the room again, and turned towards the exit. However, she felt drawn back into the kitchen. Hesitating, she walked back into the kitchen, only to smile; there, sitting at the table with a smile gracing his face, was Usaka.

"Hey." She greeted quietly, holding the book behind her back. He didn't say anything; he just sat there, leaning forward, with his chin in his hand and smiling at her. She looked over her shoulder, and could see that the boulder covering the entrance had not been moved.

"Koji and Zai are moving into Koji's old house, you know. I'm gonna help them out with the paint and stuff when I can." Yume stated. She paused before bringing the book out in front of her, staring at the title. "Love's Mental Issues, remember? You and Yukio got it for me." More silence. Her smile faltered, but just for a moment, "You and Yukio are dead...Aren't you?"

He just kept smiling. So, she did, too.

"You two are so stupid; getting yourself killed. Just when I got better, too." She didn't notice that her voice cracked. "Koji told me everything; both of you got killed by Samuru, right? Why would you try and go against him? So stupid..." It took her a minute, but she regained her composure, managing not to let one tear escape.

"I'm leaving this place. I'm gonna be traveling with Mr. Sandman, now; I'm helping him become Kazekage, you know."

Usaka continued to smile, not moving. So, with a sigh, Yume gave him one last smile before turning towards the exit. However, just as she was about to ascend, she stopped.

A tear leaked out of her eye, and she felt her throat constrict. Just as she was about to turn around, though, she felt a hand push her forward. Caught off guard, she stumbled towards the exit. Surprised, she looked over her shoulder, only to find that Usaka had disappeared.

She smiled before shaking her head and exiting the haven. And for a moment, she could've sworn she had heard Usaka's voice.

_"Time to go forward, Yume."_

So, she did. And as she resurfaced from her underground haven, she looked up to find that the sun was shining brightly on Sunagakure. She inhaled, placing her hands on her hips.

Her old apparel was no more; black cargo pants and a dark red sleeveless shirt were covering her body now, compliments of Temari herself. The eldest sand sibling had decided to "update" Yume's wardrobe, since she would begin to be seen with the three siblings more often as of late.

Yume was more surprised than thankful, but both all the same.

"Yume, we're going." She blinked and looked over to the left, where Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari stood, all wearing protective cloaks to shield them from the desert's weather as they crossed it. Smiling, Yume jogged over to them, where she was given her own cloak and bag.

"Kusagakure, right?" Kankuro questioned aloud, and Yume nodded as she adjusted her bag to hang on her back correctly.

"We'll start to make relations there early; that way they'll remember you in your campaign." Yume added to Gaara, who nodded.

"Let's go." He ordered, and Temari and Kankuro nodded, beginning to walk before the two younger ones out into the desert. Gaara glanced at Yume, who was walking with ease and content. He looked away after a moment with a small smile.

'_...You're quite the kunoichi, Okino Yume._'


	30. Actions

"Mr. Sandman!"

Gaara, clad in the formal, white Kazekage robes, turned away from the window in his office. Only one person in the _world_ was allowed to call him that. So he was not surprised to see Yume opening the door and leaning against it with a smile.

"What is it?"

Three years had passed since she had joined his campaign. And now, his goal was accomplished; he had become Kazekage. And she...She had stayed true to her word, and was by his side most of the day. To him, she was a fifteen-year-old girl that he wanted at his side for unknown reasons. To Sunagakure, she was the Kazekage's right-hand shinobi, vice-captain of the entire Sunagakure army, and the girl that the Kazekage was always around.

Smiling, Yume produced two cups of tea from behind her back. "Want some?" Gaara blinked before his lips curved. Nodding, he sat down at his desk while Yume made herself comfortable on the edge of it, handing him his drink. Content, they drank, Yume observing the familiar room while Gaara continued to stare at her from over his cup.

She hadn't changed that much, over the course of three years. Of course, he noticed that her body had matured, but her personality had stayed the same. That symbolic red ribbon was now tied by her right shoulder, for her arms were bare from the sleeveless, red top that she wore. She had taken a liking to pants over shorts, and it showed in her black cargo pants, almost the same outfit she had worn three years ago.

He himself had changed a lot more; his body became leaner, his hair more shaggy, and his sharp attitude had softened from the love and respect of his village as the Kazekage. Everyone was content with life at the moment, and so was he.

"Did you look over the paperwork?" Gaara inquired, and Yume nodded, sipping at the tea. It smelt of lavender.

"Yeah, everything's in order tonight." She hopped off of the desk, cradling the cup carefully. "I'm gonna relax on a roof; gonna join me?" Gaara blinked before shaking his head, sitting back in his chair.

"Not tonight..." He said lowly, looking into the tea to see his reflection. Yume shrugged; she had been going on rooftops by herself mostly this past week. Lately, he seemed to be distancing himself from everyone. She didn't ask about it, though. She never did.

"All right. See you in the morning." She said with a cheerful wave before exiting the room and closing the door behind her, leaving Gaara in the room alone.

After she was gone, he sighed and set the cup of tea down before opening a drawer in his desk. He hesitated before taking out an old and worn book, leafing through the pages until he found the one he had been reading.

The title Love's Mental Issues seemed to glow in the small light of the desk lamp.

**//+//**

Yume sighed in relaxation as she laid on her back, the roof tiles of the house digging into her skin in such a way that it was almost like a massage. She placed the cup of tea on her flat stomach, and the warmth from it spread to her. She waved a hand at the Suna-nins that were on night-guard as they shouted a welcoming to her; they were used to her nighttime routine.

A couple of comfortable hours passed as she stared up at the stars, trying to remember the star constellations that she had read about in Gaara's library. However, a large explosion disrupted her thoughts.

She jumped to her feet quickly, the cup of tea flying into the air. She reached out to catch it, but her body tensed. She sharply turned around, and the teacup crashed onto the roof behind her.

Her eyes swept over the sky, and they narrowed before she began to sprint towards the end of the roof. She came to a stop a few feet before the edge, and placed her hands on her hips as she watched what seemed to be a large bird fly towards her.

"Hmph. An invasion?"

A figure jumped off of the bird, not noticing her presence as he landed on the rooftop. "Heh heh, infiltration successful..." Her eyes flashed at the black coat with red clouds. "Huh?"

The young man lifted his head towards her, seemingly surprised to see her. However, a smirk replaced his lips as his blonde hair swayed in the gentle breeze.

"Oh, just a girl." Yume narrowed her eyes before darting forward.

The blonde man jumped back as she fluidly attacked him, wires sprouting from her arms. "Oh?"

"_Sen Soshi: Sen mayu_!"

The blonde just blinked as wires swirled up from the roof tiles, trapping him in a tight cocoon. He flinched slightly as the pressure increased, but only before smirking at her. "You're cute, yeah."

"Akatsuki, right? What do you want?" Yume interrogated sharply, ignoring his comment. The young man smiled slyly.

"Uhn, clever, too." Yume blinked before quickly jumping back and shielding her face with her arms. Sure enough, a second later, the wire cocoon exploded, and sharp bits of metal cut at her skin. "But not clever enough, yeah."

She had no time to react as she pulled down her arms. She only saw a small, clay butterfly floating in front of her before she was blinded by an explosion.

The blonde man smirked as he knelt down, the impact of the explosion a little too much. "Too bad I had to destroy such a pretty face, yeah..." However, as the smoke cleared, his eyebrow arched.

A wall of sand broke down, revealing a mildly ticked-off Gaara standing with his arms crossed, his gourd strapped to his back and his formal Kazekage robes discarded. The blonde young man could just see that Yume was lying on the ground behind him, and he smirked; he had managed to knock her unconscious, at least.

"Ho.."

The blonde's visible eye went to the side just to see a torrent of sand coming for him. Quickly, he jumped up into the air, where his clay bird caught him, and Gaara twisted his arm, making the sand follow after him. Gaara quickly jumped up as well, the sand taking him up into the sky to face-off with the blonde.

Back on ground, Yume groaned and sat up, holding her head. She felt something wet, and when she pulled her hand away she found that it was covered in blood. She glared at it before standing up and looking up at the sky, where she could just make out Gaara and the blonde man.

"Yume, you okay?!" She looked away and ran over to the edge of the roof, where she could see an arrangement of Suna-nin and Kankuro below. She gave a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Worry about Gaara!" She added as she looked back up. However, her words would be disregarded; the sand had already caught that young man's arm in a tight hold. She watched as the pressure grew, and smirked when she saw blood spurt from the cracks and as he fell from the sky, a large clay owl finally picked him up. "Baki! You know the drill!" Yume called down to the group, and Baki nodded before turning to the Suna-nin.

"Hurry, prepare for battle! We're going to back up the Kazekage! Medical team, set up a barrier and lead the civilians there!"

"_Sir!_"

"_**Do your best, Kazekage-sama!**_"

Yume grinned at the support from the Suna-nin. '_Well, Mr. Sandman, you got us for support._'

"Yume, get down here! Help us out!" Kankuro called, and she nodded before jumping down.

"Okay, we'll try to use some aerial attacks from the rooftops from behind the enemy. Kankuro, I need you-"

"_What the hell is that?!_"

Kankuro and Yume looked back up to the sky, only to freeze; that large bird was heading straight towards Sunagakure!!

"This is bad!! Spread out!" Baki ordered, while Kankuro's jaw clenched. Yume scowled before running forward, wires beginning to sprout from her. She gritted her teeth before quickly doing hand seals. Finally, a large net of wires leapt up into the sky, but her eyes widened as she realized just how large the impact would be.

'_I can't block it all..._'

"_Move!_" She ordered, maintaining her ground as the explosion finally came. However, the impact was much less than she expected. Opening an eye, for she had closed both, she laughed to see that a large mass of sand had covered her net of wires.

"Kazekage-sama's sand!"

"Wow! To be able to create a huge shield like that..."

Kankuro smirked, "Gaara..."

Yume grinned, but it faltered as she realized that Gaara was breathing heavily up above. '_Damn it...He used up most of his energy protecting us..._'

"Okay, come on! Mr. Sandman needs back up, _now!_" Yume declared, turning back towards the Suna-nin. They looked at her in confusion, and she sighed before pointing up at the sky. "Kazekage-sama!! Now move!"

"_Ma'am!_"

Satisfied, she looked back up to see the location. However, she felt her stomach fall and her face pale.

Gaara's sand sphere was moving around rapidly before it collapsed. She watched, struck by horror, as Gaara fell from the sky, bloody and his face cracked.

"Gaara?!!"

Yume was the first to move. Desperately, she jumped up to the rooftop and sprinted forward, using it as a launch pad. She was only a few feet from Gaara in the air, and she reached out to grab him, only to scream as the large clay bird from before whipped its tail over her back, sending her falling towards the ground, only able to watch as Gaara was wrapped in the same tail and flown away.

"_**GAARA!**_"

**//+//**

Baki jumped from wall to wall, aimed correctly, and managed to grab Yume out of the air before she passed out. Sighing, he carefully set her over his shoulder before hopping back down to the ground.

"The pursuit team left?" He inquired lowly, and the Suna-nin nodded grimly.

"Konoha was contacted as well." Baki nodded his head before handing Yume over to the other.

"Take care of your vice-captain. And...Call for Zai and Koji. They'll want to see her."

"Sir."

**//+//**

Yume woke up the next day in the hospital with a raging headache. Groaning, she sat up, feeling the bandages that were underneath her hair.

"Ah, you're awake." She sighed and looked over to find Koji sitting at her bedside, another magazine in his lap.

"Where were you last night?" She questioned darkly, "Mr. Sandman was kidnapped, and you and Zai were nowhere to be found." Koji's lips thinned as he looked up at her. He had grown over the course of three years, and his hair was always in his face. He shook them out of the way though, to reveal his sharp green colored eyes.

"We were where you _told_ us to be; guarding his room." She scowled.

"Then how did he get out without you two with him?!"

"Yume-"

"If you and Zai were there, we could have made a barrier strong enough and he wouldn't have had to use up his last strength to protect the village!" Koji's eyes finally narrowed and he sat back in his seat. Yume glared at the white hospital sheets with malice, but she was wiped clean at Koji's comment.

"Maybe if **you** had been stronger, his barrier wouldn't have been needed."

She sat, paralyzed, as Koji sighed and stood up, exiting the room. However, he paused at the door to give her a sympathetic look before leaving completely, the door closing behind him.

"...If I was stronger..."

**//+//**

"What's happened?"

Yume burst into the room, head still bandaged, only to see a wounded Kankuro on an examining table. The medical-nin was grim, "It's a new poison. We haven't found any antidote. If we don't hurry, he won't last."

"How much time do we got?" Yume asked quickly, walking over to Kankuro's bedside. All she had learned was that he had gone after Gaara himself and that he had encountered another member of Akatsuki.

"Two...Three days are our limit." Baki stared at Kankuro, deep in thought. "Gaara, and now Kankuro..."

Kankuro groaned slightly at the sound of his name, but his eyes did not open. "I guess all we can do is to ask those retired siblings..."

"It's...him..." Kankuro suddenly wheezed out, and Yume blinked in surprise while Baki moved forward quickly.

"Kankuro!" Baki bent closer towards the injured boy as he whispered into his ear. Suddenly, his eyes widened. Yume frowned.

"What is it?"

Baki, however, was too stunned to speak. Instead, he wandered out of the room silently, closing the door behind him.

**//+//**

Yume glared at her reflection as she stood in her room. She had left the hospital a day ago, and hadn't heard from anyone since.

She touched the wound on her head gingerly before scowling; how could she let such a small wound knock her out? If she hadn't been knocked out...If she had been **stronger**....

"Knock, knock."

She turned her head towards the door as it opened, revealing at least one smiling face. He had grown over three years, just like everyone else. His hair framed his smiling face, and his bright blue eyes seemed even brighter in the dark room. When he finally noticed her face, however, his smile faltered as he stepped into the room.

"Yo, Yume...What's the matter?" Zai asked with a tilted head, his hands in his pockets. Yume stared at him for a moment before sighing and looking away.

"Were you living in the desert the past day?" She asked bitterly, and Zai blinked before averting his eyes away from her.

"You're still upset about Gaara..."

"What do you think?" Her voice was beginning to rise as she plopped down on the edge of her bed. "I couldn't help him at all...And I'm supposed to be the vice-captain! I'm supposed to be strong, Zai!" Yume dug her palms into her eyes, and Zai's eyes softened as he walked over to her, sitting next to her on the bed. He looked at her before placing a hand on her back.

"You _are_ strong, Yume. You know that." He said quietly, and she shook her head roughly.

"I couldn't stop him at all...Koji's right...It's all because I wasn't strong enough..." Zai's eyes suddenly flashed, and his hand stopped moving in a comforting way on her back.

"Koji said that to you?" Yume looked at him.

"Yeah, but-"

She blinked as he stood up from the bed and exited her room in a hurry, running down the stairs, from the sound of it. A few long moments passed before Yume smirked and stood up, eyeing herself in the mirror.

"Now that they're preoccupied, they can't follow me." She said lightly, turning towards her closet. Opening it, an empty backpack stared back at her. Her smirk widened as she took it and began to pack, her eyes on fire.

'_I'll go after you myself._'

**//+//**

Koji walked through the hallway, eyes closed. Kankuro was being examined by Chiyo at the moment, so the analysis would reach him sooner or later. Once he had the information, he would store it in the research facility of Sunagakure, as was his current job.

Although deep in though, Koji still managed to sidestep a quick attack to his left, and duck a right hook.

"What did I do, Zai?" Koji asked calmly as he jumped back, Zai just missing from slamming his fists into the other's face. Zai clenched his jaw, and his blue hair fell nicely over his eyes.

"Do you know how much Yume's gone through?!" Zai hissed while Koji's eyebrow arched. "And then you dump that shit on her?!" Koji's eyes narrowed as he pocketed his hands again.

"Please. She wasn't affected by it at all."

"You didn't see her like I did!" Zai growled, his fists curled. Koji blinked before his face softened considerably. He looked over at the wall of the hallway, where a clock jutted out from the plaster. He hummed in his throat before flashing Zai a smile.

"Looks like you got played, Zai."

**//+//**

Yume looked around the cliff-filled area, nudging a lone puppet arm with her toe. She had no idea which way the Akatsuki member had gone, and from what she had learned, there was not one but two. Had Gaara been handed off to another to throw people off of their track? Or had both members gone together to insure that Gaara would not be taken back?

She looked north, and frowned slightly. There was a deep forest in front of her, and from what she knew a cliff-like area was behind the forest.

Akatsuki was an organization that "collected" the tailed demons, correct? Then would that mean that they were trying to extract Shukaku from Gaara? She already knew that Uzumaki Naruto, the holder of the Kyuubi, was attacked by two other Akatsuki members. She could only assume that the Shukaku would be extracted from Gaara.

It sounded dangerous, fatal, even.

Swallowing, she tightened the ribbon on her arm before sprinting towards the forest, however, just as she landed on a firm tree branch, she was almost knocked over by a flash of green.

"Ah!" She stumbled backwards, but a swift hand caught her arm and pulled her upright.

"Ah, Gai-sensei! It is the Yume girl Pakkun spoke of!" Yume blinked and found four people and small, summoning dog staring at her from other tree branches. She realized that she was sharing a tree branch with a boy slightly older than her, along with the other teenagers, with bowl-cut black hair and thick eyebrows. There was a girl with buns on her head, and a boy with long brown hair. This "Gai-sensei" looked identical to the bowl-cut boy, except with a larger nose and older. All of them looked like they had just been in a long fight, but she disregarded it.

"Ah, I see...Yume-chan, welcome to my youthful team, for the time being!" Gai exclaimed, and the dog sighed while Yume's eyebrows arched.

"...I'm sorry, but I don't have time for this-"

"We're the reinforcements from Konoha." The girl spoke up quickly with a smile, and the long-haired boy nodded.

"We're searching for Gaara, as well." Yume stared for a long moment before placing her hands on her hips.

"You're not Uzumaki." She stated, and the long-haired boy blinked before scowling, causing the girl to giggle while the bowl-cut boy stifled a laugh.

"He's Hyuuga Neji. I'm just Tenten, and that's Lee." The girl Tenten, introduced quickly, rolling her eyes at "Lee", who looked hurt, "Sorry. _Rock_ Lee."

"Yume, are you familiar with Hatake Kakashi?" The dog, which she assumed was Pakkun, asked lowly. She blinked and tapped her chin before nodding.

"Uzumaki's sensei. You his pet or something?"

Pakkun stifled a growl and instead cleared his throat. "No...Anyway, we're the closest team to Gaara right now, so his team should be catching up soon. You know the land better than anyone, so help us out." Yume frowned before sighing and shrugging.

"If it'll help me get Mr. Sandman back, then whatever." And with that, she sprinted towards the destination, Pakkun taken aback before quickly following.

"Wait! You don't know where to go!!"

Meanwhile, Gai and Lee enthusiastically followed, leaving Neji and Tenten to bring up the rear. Tenten glanced at Neji questioningly after a moment.

"Hey, is Gaara supposed to be 'Mr. Sandman'?" Neji glanced at her before nodding his head.

"Apparently so."

The "team" then dropped down below, and Yume was surprised to find a type of lake underneath. It couldn't have been natural. She glanced at this Konoha team and wondered what had happened before they ran into each other. But, apparently, it didn't matter.

For they were getting close to Gaara.

**//+//**

_Who is it? This hand...What is it? Is it my hand?_

His hand relaxed a little as he flexed his fingers.

_Have I ever become...An existence needed by anyone?_

He pulled his hand away, and saw a figure in the distance.

_What? What is that? Is it me?_

He stared at himself.

_That's the me who wanted to be needed by someone...Why...Why did I want that to come about? Why do I...Want this?_

He stared at his face, and found himself not liking it at all.

_Those eyes, that nose, that mouth..._

He realized that he was fading away.

_It just shared a consciousness with me. What is it...Originally?_

He could barely see himself anymore.

_...A mere...Small sensation._

He disappeared.

**//+//**

"Here!"

Yume stared up at the large rock formation, blown away. It was massive, and it looked heavily guarded with barriers.

"Gaara is inside these rocks." Pakkun said grimly from Lee's shoulder while Neji closed his eyes, only to reopen them with veins tight across his face. Yume stared at him as he looked at the rock formation, her mind racing.

"It's called Byakugan; it's the Hyuuga bloodline limit." Tenten informed lightly, and Yume glanced at her, sensing pride.

"Oh? What does it do?"

"He can see anything, to put it simply..." Tenten replied, her voice trailing off. After a moment, she looked over at Neji, "How does it look, Neji?" It took him a second to reply.

"Wh...What _is_ that?"

"Neji, what's happening inside the cave?" Lee asked quickly, worried at his teammate's answer. Neji, however, shook his head.

"Words can't explain." Yume frowned before cracking her knuckles, examining the kanji sheets on the rock formation. Before she could point them out, however, Gai rushed forward and made to punch the rock formation, only to be held back by a powerful barrier.

"A barrier..." Gai muttered under his breath, and Yume tapped her chin, but remained silent as Lee spoke up.

"What should we do?"

"First, we have to break the barrier!" Gai stated, and Tenten looked slightly troubled.

"And how do we do that?"

"That's a 'Five Seal Barrier'." A new voice suddenly said, and Yume looked over her shoulder, as well as everyone else, only to smile.

"Uzumaki."

"You're late, Kakashi." Gai stated with a type of smugness while Kakashi sighed.

"Eh, well, we ran into a bit of trouble along the way."

"Naruto-kun! Sakura-san!" Lee exclaimed, acknowledging Haruno and Naruto's presence. Both of the two glanced at Yume, and she smirked.

"Hiya."

"...You're that girl..." Naruto said slowly, brow furrowing as he stared at her. "That girl that was always with Gaara."

"...It's Yume, you know." She said with a frown before waving it off. "Anyway-"

She was cut off by a shuriken, her fingers moving just in time to catch it before it hit her face. Eyes narrowed dangerously, she looked over Naruto, who looked behind him in surprise. However, she was the only one not surprised.

"Zai, Koji." She said bitterly as her own teammates jumped down from the sky, landing in front of Naruto, who turned around only to yelp and jump back.

"Yume." Koji stated, hands pocketed. Zai, however, growled.

"You tricked me." Yume blinked before looking away.

"It obviously didn't work, 'cause you followed me anyway."

Neji and Tenten glanced at each other.

"What's going on?" Tenten whispered, and Neji looked away with the shake of his head.

"I'd rather not know..."

Yume, Koji, and Zai stared each other down in silence, while the others decided to move away from them, needing to work as fast as possible. Yume maintained her glare, while both Koji and Zai stared back at her. Finally, after long minutes, she broke the stare by sprinting away, up into the trees.

Koji and Zai quickly followed, the sound of exploding rock following them.

**//+//**

"Yume, stop."

She did, balancing on a tree branch expertly while Koji and Zai stood a ways away.

"What the hell is going on, Yume?" Zai asked, brow furrowed. "You're working with strangers rather than _us_? Your _team_?"

"This is Akatsuki. You can't go running around like a fool." Koji said lowly, and Yume gave short huff of air before crossing her arms over her chest and looking away.

"Who says I'm being foolish? I'm letting other people take me to Gaara and serve as distractions; all I have to do is get Gaara and we're fine." She stated airily, and Zai blinked.

"...You would never sacrifice people like that. Even if they weren't from Sunagakure." He finally said, not believing her. Yume frowned at him.

"This is different."

"Because Gaara-san's the one in trouble now...Right?" Koji inquired, and Yume looked slightly taken aback. Her arms fell to her sides as she stared at him with a tilted head, eyes distant. Finally, she looked away again.

"He's the Kazekage. I'm only serving our village." She replied carefully, and Zai shook his head, not amused.

"Bullshit-"

But before Zai could finish his remark, that familiar wire plate leapt at him and strapped itself over his mouth. Even after almost three years, he had never found out how to tear the damned thing off. He remembered this as he tried to pry the metal off of his face, but to no avail.

"...There's fighting." Koji stated lowly after moments of silence, Yume staring at the ground in thought. He glanced at her. "What are you going to do?"

She bit her lip and tapped her chin, trying to think. Long moments passed by, and she too, could hear fighting in the background. Finally, she lifted her head up. The metal plate removed itself from Zai's mouth, who gasped for air with a scowl, and hopped back to Yume, strapping itself to her upper-thigh. Smirking, she waved her hand towards her.

"I got a plan."

**//+//**

Sakura's body twisted on the ground as Chiyo controlled it using chakra threads, the multiple puppet arms barely missing her. She was suddenly jerked back by Chiyo again, but her eyes widened when she saw a dark gas produce from one of the puppet arms.

"_Sakura! Don't-_" Before Chiyo could finish, however, a kunai came whizzing down from nowhere, and with perfect aim, shot straight into the open puppet arm, blocking off most of the poison. Alarmed, Chiyo looked up as well as Sakura and their opponent.

"Oi! I gave you three minutes! Now where'd the others go to?" Sakura blinked in surprise as she saw Yume falling from the sky gracefully, landing on the cliff behind their opponent.

"Th...They went after the other one! That way!" Sakura fumbled out, motioning towards her right. The opponent narrowed his eyes and glanced at Yume out of the corner of his eyes.

'_Fool._'

"Ah! Yume-chan, go!" Chiyo exclaimed, flexing her fingers as a puppet arm dashed behind the opponent and at Yume's legs. Sakura leapt forward and managed to crush the arm with one single punch, landing easily before being bulled back again. Yume nodded and dashed off.

"Two minutes!" She called over her shoulder before rushing towards the cliff-filled passage way, leaving Chiyo and Sakura to deal with this puppet master.

"Sakura, when I tell you to, hold your breath." Chiyo said lowly, and Sakura nodded.

"Okay. Let's do this."

**//+//**

Back in Sunagakure, preparations were being made.

Kankuro, clad in usual attire, sat on the steps that led into the village, head bent. "You're late."

Temari rolled her eyes, "It might not seem like it, but I came as fast as I could. Anyway, you were late sending over a replacement for border patrol!" She frowned, "It's you that screwed up the preparations."

Kankuro smirked, "Hey, I've only just recovered, and I'm already listening to your crap. Don't be talking like that." Temari scoffed as Kankuro stood up, smirking as he placed a hand on Karasu. "Right, then..."

Temari smiled, looking out towards the desert that they would be crossing. "Let's go."

**//+//**

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and leapt forward, grabbing Naruto by the neck.

"_I said wait, didn't I?_" He hissed, slightly frustrated. Naruto only growled, and Kakashi relaxed slightly as they continued their pursuit of the blonde man, who was flying overhead by that clay bird as before. "It's alright, we'll definitely get Gaara back." He said reassuringly, and Naruto stared, a little surprised. "So calm down a bit!"

The blonde man looked over his shoulder curiously, trying to listen in as the two talked. However, his senses sharpened and he suddenly pulled the clay bird down towards the ground, a large shuriken whizzing above his head. He stared with a frown as a few strands of blonde hair floated by in the wind.

"What was that, uhn?" He gazed around suspiciously, but saw nothing. Cautious, he rose back into the sky, this time a little higher. He looked over his shoulder again, only to see the two were still diligently talking to one another as they followed him closely. '_Not them?_'

"Let's go, Naruto!"

'_What? Distraction?_'

The blonde man looked around rapidly, suddenly feeling a type of pressure surrounding him. '_What...What's this?_' He clenched his jaw as the pressure began to center around his arm. Then, the pressure exploded. "_**GYAHH!**_"

Apparently, that was not all. Multiple kunai from both sides of him suddenly flew towards him, seemingly from the cliff walls. He hissed as they pierced the parts of his arms left, wincing. '_What is this!? Genjutsu!?_'

He almost collapsed onto the bird, lowering his head as he hissed in pain. However, he looked up with gritted teeth as he felt the familiar pressure build up. Before it could grow, he moved the bird even higher, just escaping the range of the attack. Just when he thought he was safe, though, his visible eye widened as he looked to the side, to see three Naruto clones jumping up into the air.

"_RASENGAN!_"

Abandoning the bird and his captive, the man jumped back, allowing Naruto to destroy the clay work. Before Naruto could make anymore clones, however, a figure appeared in front of him with amazing speed, dropping down like a hawk. He blinked and recognized the figure with relief, before landing roughly on a tree branch, Yume carefully catching the clay part that held Gaara captive while Koji and Zai emerged from the cliff walls, their genjutsu fading away.

"Mr. Sandman!" Naruto ran forward as well, and helped Yume pry the prison open. However, once they looked inside the clay cavity, both froze.

Gaara lay inside, unmoving.

Yume stared at Gaara, eyes wide, while Naruto stepped back, pure malice across his face. "I'll get you..."

The blonde man smirked from his spot on a tree branch farther away, "Gotcha, gotcha. I'll fight you again soon, mmhm."

"You've let your guard down..." Kakashi said lowly, and the blonde man blinked, just turning around in time for Naruto to slam a fist into his face. Kakashi looked, but only for a moment, over to see Yume still standing at the clay cavity, staring inside. Her eyes had grown distant, and her lips thin. "...Yume-chan..."

Both could hear Naruto pounding away at the blonde man, and Kakashi sensed that she wanted to move. And yet, she didn't. There was a _poof!_ and the clone of the man disappeared, leaving Naruto to growl as red chakra erupted from his body. Kakashi blinked before suddenly stepping into action and jumping towards the real Naruto, leaving Yume to stand by herself at the clay cavity.

"...Mr. Sandman?" She tried again, quietly, as she reached inside. She hesitated before touching his hair; no sand sprout out to protect him. She couldn't pay attention as the team showed up, with even more scratches than before.

"_Everyone, hurry! Get away from here!_" Neji yelled, but Yume didn't hear him. She fell to her knees at the clay cavity, continuing to stare as her hand ran through his hair. Suddenly, she could feel herself being dragged away, and she reached out, just managing to pull Gaara out of the clay cavity in time. However, she couldn't hold on. She could feel him slipping from her again, but she choked.

He had slipped away from her.

"I got him!" She blinked and looked up, only to see two Naruto clones take Gaara carefully.

"Yume-chan, you gotta move!" She looked over her shoulder, only to see Tenten pulling her along before finally stopping, setting her down on the grass again. The explosion had just stopped.

Yume couldn't hear people talking, even though she saw their mouths move. She just followed aimlessly as they took Gaara to an open field, guided by a worried Tenten. Yume didn't understand her; she was being too nice. But, she couldn't care at the moment.

Sakura had her hands placed over Gaara's chest as she shook her head. Yume blinked, and stared blankly at Gaara's body as he laid on the grass. He looked...Peaceful.

"Why was Gaara...Always Gaara..." Everyone turned to see Naruto, with tears streaming down his face, his jaw and fists clenched. "To die like this! He's the Kazekage! He didn't just become Kazekage..."

"...Relax, Uzumaki Naruto..." Chiyo said suddenly, but he only turned around sharply, filled with anger and resentment.

"_**SHUT UP!**_" Chiyo remained silent and unfazed. "_If you shinobi of the Sand hadn't put a monster in Gaara, then nothing like this would've happened!!!_" Yume's eyes were half-lidded as she glanced at Naruto. "_Did any of you even try to ask Gaara how he felt?!_" His rant continued on. "What is this _jinchuuriki_ anyway?! You just arrogantly made up that word to call them!!!" Finally, he stopped, and just broke down, sobbing.

"Naruto..." Sakura said quietly, tears coming to her eyes. Yume glanced at the two, and wondered why they were crying. Wasn't she supposed to be crying? Wasn't she the closest to him, after all? Or...Was it all nothing?

"I couldn't save Sasuke...And I couldn't save Gaara. For three years, I trained desperately...But nothing's changed since three years ago, has it..."

Chiyo stared at the ground silently, deep in thought. Suddenly, then, she knelt in front of Gaara and laid her hands on him, chakra oozing from her onto him. Yume blinked; it wasn't just chakra, though...

Words were spoken again. But, she couldn't hear. Yume suddenly felt her chest go numb, like it had three years ago. Wincing, she placed a hand over her heart, which felt strange. She watched as Chiyo forced her chakra onto Gaara, but even Yume could tell that it wasn't enough. Silently, she knelt on the other side of Gaara, and placed her hands over Chiyo's.

"Use mine." She said quietly, and she too, began to transfer any chakra she had left. Chiyo stared at her, taken aback. She had known that this girl was seen with Gaara a lot, but...Her thoughts were diminished, however, as she shook her head.

"Damn, even together...Not enough chakra." Yume frowned and furrowed her brow, clenching her jaw. She began to drain her body completely, but still, it didn't seem to be enough.

"Please...Use my chakra." Chiyo looked up to see Naruto, offering his hands to her. "Old lady, you can do that, right?" She stared at him before looking back at Yume, who was entirely focused on Gaara's face. '_These two..._'

"Put your hands on top of hers." She instructed, and Naruto carefully placed his hands atop of Yume's, and a considerable amount of chakra was added. She stared at the two in silent amazement, thoughts passing along in her head. "...I'm glad someone like you appeared in this world of shinobi that we old people created..." Yume and Naruto blinked before looking over at the elder, who remained focused on Gaara. "In the past, everything I did was mistaken. But...At the very end, it seems I am able to do the right thing. Sand and Konoha...Their futures...Are differing from our past."

Chiyo paused to look at Naruto, a small smile gracing her olden features. "What Kakashi said, your mysterious power...That power may change in the future. Become a Hokage unlike any before." Her gaze turned to Yume, who stared at her. "You...You stayed by this boy for a long time. Do me a favor and stand by him; you and Naruto both taught him a well-learned lesson."

"And Sakura...Do not risk your life for an old hag like me next time. Save that which is important to you." Tears were beginning to slide down Sakura's face. "You are...A lot like me. There are not many women with chivalrous spirits matching those of men. You may become a kunoichi surpassing your own master." Tears were falling freely now.

Chiyo directed her attention back at Naruto, the jutsu almost complete, even with the absence of Yume, who had to pull back, her chakra completely drained. She panted for a minute before falling to the grass beside Gaara, eyes half-lidded as she watched him glow. "Naruto, a request from an old hag. You are the only one who can know Gaara's pain. Gaara also knows your pain. You and Yume...Help Gaara out..."

Naruto's eyes closed as he nodded. And Yume, after reaching out, gently put her hand back on top of the other two's before closing her eyes herself.

**//+//**

_Who...Who is it? Who are they calling?_

His features were beginning to come back.

_Who...? This hand? What? My hand again?_

He stared at his hand and flexed his fingers before lowering it, seeing a crouching figure in the distance.

_My hand...Me?_

He stared at the smaller version of himself, all alone with tears streaming down his face.

_I...Who am I? I am..._

A hand was placed on his shoulder, and he saw a little boy his age. However, the boy suddenly turned into Naruto, and he turned into himself.

"Gaara..." Gaara stared in disbelief at Naruto before slowly looking around. He was surrounded by people, most he recognized, and some he did not.

"This..." Naruto grinned.

"Everyone came running to save you!" Gaara looked back up at him, still shocked. "Hey, you put us through a lot!"

"For sure!" Gaara blinked and looked forward, only to see Kankuro grinning while Temari smiled with her arms crossed over her chest. "You're a little brother I always have to worry about, eh?"

"Hey, don't go getting all complacent! Gaara's still the Kazekage, so don't get all cheeky!" Temari said with a smirk. However, Gaara continued to look around. He could see Koji and Zai in the middle, and they grinned and waved at him, but...It wasn't until he felt movement beside him that he saw her.

"...Uhn..." Gaara blinked as he saw Yume lying next to him, struggling to get up. She blinked and looked at him. Her eyes widened before she smiled. "Mr. Sandman..."

"Gaara, how are you feeling?" Temari quickly interrupted, kneeling in front of Gaara. He blinked before groaning and trying to stand, only to tremble. "You shouldn't be in such a hurry to move. Your body's not back to full health yet."

"Gaara-sama's a real strong and silent type, and good-looking, and elite..."

"Yeah, yeah, but there's still some cuteness about him, but then he's Kazekage..."

Women began to coo dreamily, and Naruto fell over, while Kankuro chuckled. "I guess I'm still a Genin..."

"Don't feel bad. Women are always weak at the knees for the elite, cool types." Kankuro said with a smirk, glancing over at Yume as she carefully stood up. Gaara looked up at her for a moment before looking over at Chiyo. Kankuro explained how her life was transferred to Gaara, and he closed his eyes after the explanation. Trembling, he tried to get up again, but this time, both Naruto and Yume assisted him. Carefully, Gaara walked over to where Sakura held Chiyo's body.

"Gaara-sama..."

Gaara stared at Chiyo with soft eyes, "Everyone, say a prayer for Chiyo..."

And they did.

**//+//**

Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, and Yume stood at the entrance of Sunagakure, seeing the Konoha teams off.

"Well, see ya." Kankuro said lamely, and Naruto looked a little awkward.

"Y...Yeah." He replied as he glanced at Gaara, who was staring at him. They held the stare for a moment before Naruto looked away. "I guess this is when you normally shake hands and part ways, but I'm bad at that sort of thing! So..."

He paused as Gaara lifted his hand to him. Yume looked at Gaara with a warm smile, as did everyone else. Tenten even giggled a bit, but was silenced but Neji's calm look.

Naruto stared, unsure on what to do. But, Gaara seemed to know, for small grains of sand encircled Naruto's hand carefully and lifted it up towards his own. Naruto blinked before smiling softly and putting his hand in Gaara's with a firm shake.

**//+//**

"Both of you senseis are so slow!" Tenten called back as Gai tried to help Kakashi move.

"Eh, sorry Gai-kun. Because I used that Sharingan, my body won't move..."

"_RIGHT!_"

"AH! WHOA!"

And in an extremely odd and intimate fashion, Kakashi was placed on Gai's back. "This way I'll be faster!!!" Gai exclaimed enthusiastically while Kakashi looked mortified. With a wild laugh, Gai sprinted away from the teens. "Think any of you can keep up with me?!!"

Lee enthusiastically turned his backpack so that it faced his stomach and crouched down in front of Neji. "Neji..."

"_Absolutely not!_" Neji exclaimed, face red while Tenten covered her mouth to drown out her bursts of laughter. A tick mark producing, Neji gave her a side-glare, which made her laugh even harder.

"Tenten…"

**//+//**

"Mr. Sandman, here."

Things had settled back into a routine, almost. Koji and Zai had gone back to their homes; Zai had now rented out his own apartment while Koji had kept his house. Yume was still living in at an inn that the Kazekage financed, and everything was turning back to normal.

Gaara accepted the cup of tea as he sat on the rooftop, something they had not done in a while. Yume took a seat next to him and sipped at her own tea, looking up at the stars. "So...How was death?" He smiled slightly at her humor as he, too, drank.

"...Lonely." He replied after a minute, and she glanced at him.

"...I'm sorry." He blinked and looked at her with a tilted head, setting down his cup while she stared into her eyes quietly.

"For what?"

"I...Really wasn't strong enough to stop him from taking you. And I could barely do anything to help...So...I'm sorry." He stared at the side of her face for a long time. Finally, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I should be thanking you." Yume looked at him with confusion. "You...Stayed by me. When no one else was there..." They caught each other's eye. He was about to say something, but he hesitated. Then, somewhat sure of himself, he looked at her again. "Thank you."

He was surprised to see that she had gone back to staring into her cup, his words not affecting her. Did she know how hard it was for him to communicate? She should be appreciating his effort, not brushing aside his words like that. After a moment, his mind traveled back to some information he had read from before. He pondered it for a moment before closing his eyes and looking in the opposite direction of her.

His hand hesitated, but he soon placed it over hers carefully, pulling it down to the roof tiles so that his hand almost completely covered hers.

Yume, snapped out of her trance, stared at him for a while thoughtfully. Then, she gave a smile and looked back up to the night sky, while Gaara glanced back at her reaction. Satisfied, he gave himself a small smile.

_Actions speak louder than words…_

So when Yume scooted closer towards him, and he instinctively tilted his head towards her, he was hoping that she could understand what he was trying to say. He hoped that she could decipher all of the emotions that he could not form into words, for words could not hold enough meaning for what he wanted to say to her at this moment. And when their lips pressed against each other's for the first time, he wished that all of his strange feelings that had boiled in his stomach could transfer to her and make her feel as he did.

When they pulled away and looked at each other, he smiled in relief.

The light in her eyes, the flush of pink on her cheeks, told him that she understood what he was trying to say. And when she leaned towards him again, he knew that she was trying to tell him the same thing.

'_I love you.'_


	31. Epilogue

Gaara slowly opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling of his bedroom. Still adjusting to sleep, he turned his head to the side to see the empty sheets beside him. While turning, the memories of last night flooded his head and he closed his eyes once again. '_It must have been…What is it called? A dream?_'

However, when he ran his hand over the sheets beside him, they were still warm. He frowned and sat up, putting a hand to his forehead. Although it was a good five years since the sand demon was released from his body, Gaara was still not fully adjusted to unconscious sleep. His body was weak when he woke and it took more effort than wanted to sit up in his own bed. He did not notice that he was not wearing any clothing until the bedding slid off of his naked chest. He stared in awe at the sheets and lifted them up to see underneath, only to find that it was true: he was completely naked.

He sighed and fisted the sheets on his right: it was not a dream. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand and quickly got out of bed: it was already eleven in the morning. "Damn." He was late for a council meeting.

As he was pulling on undergarments, his door was pushed open and he froze; Yume stood in the doorway with two mugs of coffee, a messy bob of hair, and a tired smile. What caught Gaara's eye, however, was that the only piece of clothing she had on was a long-sleeved shirt that ended at the middle of her thigh. He did not notice that it was one of his shirts until she stepped into his room and closed the door behind her with her foot. "I just told the Council that the meeting will be postponed for tomorrow. Relax."

Gaara continued to stare at her before putting a hand to his head and sitting on the edge of his bed, "Yume, where were the Councilmen?"

"In the kitchen. You were supposed to have breakfast with them."

He closed his eyes.

"Did you greet them?" Yume gave Gaara a sheepish smile in response. "_Well_?"

"I did…As I went down to make coffee." Gaara opened his eyes.

"You greeted the Councilmen wearing nothing but my shirt…?"

"Yes. One complimented it by the way; you should wear this one more often." Gaara lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"At least the old men learned not to enter my estate without my own consent." He said lowly, glancing at Yume as she sat beside him. "Next time, dress properly afterwards." Her eyes widened before she smirked.

"So there will be a next time?" She teased, only for him to blatantly nod and reach for his coffee.

"Since you are my 'lover', and I am yours, it's perfectly acceptable for us to do so." He replied coolly as he drank half of his coffee. When he finished, he found his torso being embraced by Yume, who lay in bed next to him. He sighed, her head rising with his chest, and glanced down at the pate of her head. "What now?"

"You're just so romantic." Yume said mockingly, resting her hand on his stomach. He let out a low chuckle. They laid in comfortable silence for long minutes before Gaara finally leaned down to press his lips against the top of Yume's head, her soft bed hair tickling him. She smiled to herself and looked up to gently kiss his mouth before resting her head back on his chest.

"Love you, too."


End file.
